Proximity seeking in adult attachment: examining the role of automatic approach-avoidance tendencies.
In two experiments, participants made symbolic approach and avoidance movements towards or away from attachment figure- and acquaintance-related cues after being primed with a distressing or a non-distressing context. Results showed that automatic approach responses towards the attachment figure were stronger in a distressing than in a non-distressing context, regardless of whether the source of distress was attachment-relevant or -irrelevant and regardless of one's attachment style. Individual differences in attachment anxiety and avoidance were associated with the predicted patterns of approach-avoidance tendencies: attachment anxiety heightened the tendency to approach the attachment Figure (Experiments 1 and 2), whereas attachment avoidance reduced this tendency (Experiment 2). Findings are discussed as providing first evidence on the role of automatic action tendencies in adult attachment.
Dewitte
Marieke
M
Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium. Marieke.Dewitte@ugent.be
De Houwer
Jan
J
Buysse
Ann
A
Koster
Ernst H W
EH
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001530:Belgium; D004924:Escape Reaction; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D009769:Object Attachment; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D055815:Young Adult