title: The relation of dissociation and mind wandering to unresolved/disorganized attachment: an experience sampling study.
abstract: Individuals with unresolved/disorganized representations of childhood trauma (U/d attachment) report more psychological distress than others, but little is known about their everyday mentation. In the present study adults with childhood trauma (N = 45) completed the Berkeley-Leiden Adult Attachment Questionnaire-Unresolved (BLAAQ-U) and the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI), and reported everyday mentation during 5 days of experience sampling. The BLAAQ-U and the AAI showed a medium association with each other, but only the former significantly predicted negative affect, dissociation, and low control/awareness of mentation. Contrary to our predictions, U/d attachment did not significantly predict mind wandering, but the BLAAQ-U predicted endorsements of a negative mind wandering style. U/d attachment, as assessed by both instruments, was associated with the Poor attentional control style and beliefs in anomalous mental phenomena. Experience sampling is a valuable way to investigate everyday experiences in individuals with U/d attachment.
authors.affiliation: a Center for Research on Consciousness and Anomalous Psychology (CERCAP), Department of Psychology , Lund University , Lund , Sweden.|b Department of Biobehavioral Health , Pennsylvania State University , University Park , PA , USA.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Marcusson-Clavertz
authors.affiliation: a Center for Research on Consciousness and Anomalous Psychology (CERCAP), Department of Psychology , Lund University , Lund , Sweden.
authors.forename: Sabina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gušić
authors.affiliation: c Department of Psychology , Lund University , Lund , Sweden.
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bengtsson
authors.affiliation: d National Network for Infant Mental Health , Regional Centre for Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Eastern and Southern Norway , Oslo , Norway.
authors.forename: Heidi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jacobsen
authors.affiliation: a Center for Research on Consciousness and Anomalous Psychology (CERCAP), Department of Psychology , Lund University , Lund , Sweden.
authors.forename: Etzel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cardeña
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000069586:Adult Survivors of Child Adverse Events / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D000072860:Ecological Momentary Assessment; D005201:Fantasy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D009769:Object Attachment; D019962:Reactive Attachment Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D013548:Sweden
keywords: Disorganized attachment; detachment; dissociative experiences; experience sampling; mind wandering