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Adult attachment style and information processing: individual differences in curiosity and cognitive closure
1Department of Psychology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel.
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
|May 1, 1997
Summary
Adult attachment styles influence how people process information. Secure individuals are more curious and open to new data, unlike avoidant or anxious-ambivalent types.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Cognitive Science
- Social Psychology
Background:
- Adult attachment theory categorizes interpersonal styles into secure, anxious-ambivalent, and avoidant.
- Information processing encompasses how individuals search for and integrate new data.
- Previous research has not extensively explored the relationship between attachment styles and distinct information processing facets.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between adult attachment styles and information processing behaviors.
- To examine how attachment influences information search (curiosity) and information integration (cognitive closure).
- To explore the differential impact of situational factors on information processing across attachment styles.
Main Methods:
- Five studies were conducted, with the first two focusing on information search behaviors and attitudes toward curiosity.
- Studies 3-5 examined the integration of new information, cognitive closure preferences, and social judgment reliance.
- Participants' attachment styles (secure, anxious-ambivalent, avoidant) were assessed and related to information processing measures.
Main Results:
- Secure and anxious-ambivalent individuals reported higher curiosity and more positive attitudes toward it compared to avoidant individuals.
- Avoidant individuals increased information search under time constraints with social interaction, while anxious-ambivalent individuals decreased it.
- Secure individuals showed less preference for cognitive closure and relied more on new information for social judgments than other styles.
Conclusions:
- Adult attachment styles significantly shape both the seeking and integration of information.
- Attachment influences cognitive closure tendencies and reliance on new information in social decision-making.
- Understanding these links offers theoretical insights into the interplay between attachment and cognitive processes.
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