Adult attachment style and affect regulation: strategic variations in self-appraisals.
Four studies examined the link between adult attachment style and strategic variations in self-appraisals. Whereas secure persons held a stable positive self-view, Studies 1-2 showed that avoidant persons showed a positive self-view and anxious-ambivalent persons a negative self-view, which were strengthened by distress arousal and weakened by factors that inhibit the activation of regulatory mechanisms. Studies 3-4 indicated that insecure persons' self-views varied in accordance with specific attachment-related concerns and needs. Avoidant persons' positive self-view was related to their attempts to validate their sense of self-reliance, and anxious-ambivalent persons' negative self-view was related to their attempts to win others' compassion and affection. Results are discussed in terms of attachment-related strategies of affect regulation.
Mikulincer
M
M
Department of Psychology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel. mikulm@ashur.cc.biu.ac.il
D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009769:Object Attachment; D012649:Self Concept