Attachment Insecurities and the Processing of Threat-Related Information: Studying the Schemas Involved in Insecure People's Coping Strategies

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

Volumn 101, Issue 1, 2011, Pages 78-93

  Ein Dor, Tsachi ^a   Mikulincer, Mario ^a   Shaver, Phillip R ^b  

^a INTERDISCIPLINARY CENTER   (Israel)

^b UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA   (United States)

Author keywords

Anxiety; Attachment; Avoidance; Inclusive fitness; Social defense theory

Indexed keywords

EID: 79959855100     PISSN: 00223514     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1037/a0022503     Document Type: Article

References (67)

1. Aiken L.S., West S.G. Multiple regression: Testing and interpreting interactions 1991, Sage, Newbury Park, CA.
2. Ainsworth M.D.S., Blehar M.C., Waters E., Wall S. Patterns of attachment: Assessed in the strange situation and at home 1978, Erlbaum, Hillsdale, NJ.
3. Alexander R., Feeney J., Hohaus L., Noller P. Attachment style and coping resources as predictors of coping strategies in the transition to parenthood. Personal Relationships 2001, 8:137-152. doi: 10.1111/j.1475-6811.2001.tb00032.x.
4. Beller M. Translated versions of Israel's inter-university Psychometric Entrance Test (PET). International Perspectives on Academic Assessment 1995, 207-218. Kluwer, Boston, MA. T. Oakland, R.K. Hambleton (Eds.).
5. Berant, E. (1998). The association between attachment orientations and mental health in a sample of mothers of infants diagnosed with congenital heart disease. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Bar-Ilan University, Department of Psychology, Ramat Gan, Israel.
6. Birnbaum G.E., Orr I., Mikulincer M., Florian V. When marriage breaks up: Does attachment style contribute to coping and mental health?. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships 1997, 14:643-654. doi: 10.1177/0265407597145004.
7. Bowlby J. Attachment and loss: Vol. 2. Separation: Anxiety and anger 1973, Basic Books, New York.
8. Bowlby J. Attachment and loss: Vol. 3. Sadness and depression 1980, Basic Books, New York.
9. Bowlby J. Attachment and loss: Vol. 1. Attachment 1982, Basic Books, New York. 2nd ed.
10. Bowlby J. A secure base: Clinical applications of attachment theory 1988, Routledge, London.
11. Brennan K.A., Clark C.L., Shaver P.R. Self-report measurement of adult romantic attachment: An integrative overview. Attachment theory and close relationships 1998, 46-76. Guilford Press, New York. J.A. Simpson, W.S. Rholes (Eds.).
12. Carpenter S.L. Self-relevant and goal-directed processing in the recall and weighting of information about others. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology 1988, 24:310-332. doi: 10.1016/0022-1031(88)90023-6.
13. Cassidy J., Kobak R.R. Avoidance and its relationship with other defensive processes. Clinical implications of attachment 1988, 300-323. Erlbaum, Hillsdale, NJ. J. Belsky, T. Nezworski (Eds.).
14. Cassidy J., Shaver P.R. Handbook of attachment: Theory, research, and clinical applications 2008, Guilford Press, New York. 2nd ed.
15. Catrambone R., Markus H. The role of self-schemas in going beyond the information given. Social Cognition 1987, 5:349-368.
16. Collins N.L., Read S.J. Adult attachment, working models, and relationship quality in dating couples. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 1990, 58:644-663.
17. Crowne D.P., Marlowe D. A new scale of social desirability independent of psychopathology. Journal of Consulting Psychology 1964, 24:349-354. doi: 10.1037/h0047358.
18. Ein-Dor T., Mikulincer M., Doron G., Shaver P.R. The attachment paradox: How can so many of us (the insecure ones) have no adaptive advantages?. Perspectives on Psychological Science 2010, 5:123-141. doi: 10.1177/1745691610362349.
19. Ein-Dor, T., Mikulincer, M., & Shaver, P. R. (in press). Effective reaction to danger: Attachment insecurities predict behavioral reactions to an experimentally induced threat above and beyond general personality traits. Social Psychological and Personality Science.
20. Feeney B.C., Collins N.L. Predictors of caregiving in adult intimate relationships: An attachment theoretical perspective. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2001, 80:972-994.
21. Feeney J.A. Adult romantic attachment and couple relationships. Handbook of attachment: Theory, research, and clinical applications 2008, 456-481. Guilford Press, New York. 2nd ed. J. Cassidy, P.R. Shaver (Eds.).
22. Feeney J.A., Noller P. Attachment style as a predictor of adult romantic relationships. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 1990, 58:281-291. doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.58.2.281.
23. Fraley R.C., Shaver P.R. Adult attachment and the suppression of unwanted thoughts. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 1997, 73:1080-1091. doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.73.5.1080.
24. Fraley R.C., Shaver P.R. Airport separations: A naturalistic study of adult attachment dynamics in separating couples. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 1998, 75:1198-1212. doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.75.5.1198.
25. Fraley R.C., Shaver P.R. Adult romantic attachment: Theoretical developments, emerging controversies, and unanswered questions. Review of General Psychology 2000, 4:132-154. doi: 10.1037/1089-2680.4.2.132.
26. Hamilton W.D. The genetical evolution of social behaviour: I. Journal of Theoretical Biology 1964, 7:1-16.
27. Hamilton W.D. The genetical evolution of social behaviour: II. Journal of Theoretical Biology 1964, 7:17-52.
28. Hazan C., Zeifman D. Pair-bonds as attachments: Evaluating the evidence. Handbook of attachment: Theory, research, and clinical applications 1999, 336-354. Guilford, New York. J. Cassidy, P.R. Shaver (Eds.).
29. Hesse E. The Adult Attachment Interview: Protocol, method of analysis, and empirical studies. Handbook of attachment: Theory, research, and clinical applications 2008, 552-598. Guilford Press, New York. 2nd ed. J. Cassidy, P.R. Shaver (Eds.).
30. John O., Donahue E., Kentle R. The "Big Five" Inventory-Versions 4a and 54 (Technical Report) 1991, Institute of Personality Assessment and Research, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA.
31. Kanagawa C., Cross S.E., Markus H.R. "Who am I?" The cultural psychology of the conceptual self. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 2001, 27:90-103. doi: 10.1177/0146167201271008.
32. Lurigio A.J., Carroll J.S. Probation officers' schemata of offenders: Content, development, and impact on treatment decisions. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 1985, 48:1112-1126. doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.48.5.1112.
33. Lussier Y., Sabourin S., Turgeon C. Coping strategies as moderators of the relationship between attachment and marital adjustment. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships 1997, 14:777-791. doi: 10.1177/0265407597146004.
34. Main M. Cross-cultural studies of attachment organization: Recent studies, changing methodologies, and the concept of conditional strategies. Human Development 1990, 33:48-61. doi: 10.1159/000276502.
35. Markus H. Self-schemata and processing information about the self. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 1977, 35:63-78. doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.35.2.63.
36. Markus H. The self in thought and memory. The self in social psychology 1980, 102-130. Oxford University Press, New York. D.M. Wegner, R.R. Vallacher (Eds.).
37. Markus H., Nurius P. Possible selves. American Psychologist 1986, 41:954-969. doi: 10.1037/0003-066X.41.9.954.
38. Markus H., Ruvolo A. Possible selves: Personalized representations of goals. Goal concepts in personality and social psychology 1989, 211-241. Erlbaum, Hillsdale, NJ. L. Pervin (Ed.).
39. Markus H.R., Sentis K.P. The self in social information processing. Psychological perspectives on the self 1982, 1:41-70. Erlbaum, Hillsdale, NJ. J. Suls (Ed.).
40. Markus H., Smith J., Moreland R.L. The role of the self-concept in the perception of others. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 1985, 49:1494-1512. doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.49.6.1494.
41. Mikulincer M. Adult attachment style and individual differences in functional versus dysfunctional experiences of anger. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 1998, 74:513-524. doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.74.2.513.
42. Mikulincer M., Birnbaum G., Woddis D., Nachmias O. Stress and accessibility of proximity-related thoughts: Exploring the normative and intraindividual components of attachment theory. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2000, 78:509-523. doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.78.3.509.
43. Mikulincer M., Florian V. Appraisal of and coping with a real-life stressful situation: The contribution of attachment styles. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 1995, 21:406-414. doi: 10.1177/0146167295214011.
44. Mikulincer M., Florian V. The relationship between adult attachment styles and emotional and cognitive reactions to stressful events. Attachment theory and close relationships 1998, 143-165. Guilford Press, New York. J.A. Simpson, W.S. Rholes (Eds.).
45. Mikulincer M., Florian V., Weller A. Attachment styles, coping strategies, and posttraumatic psychological distress: The impact of the Gulf War in Israel. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 1993, 64:817-826. doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.64.5.817.
46. Mikulincer M., Gillath O., Shaver P.R. Activation of the attachment system in adulthood: Threat-related primes increase the accessibility of mental representations of attachment figures. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2002, 83:881-895. doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.83.4.881.
47. Mikulincer M., Hirschberger G., Nachmias O., Gillath O. The affective component of the secure base schema: Affective priming with representations of attachment security. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2001, 81:305-321. doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.81.2.305.
48. Mikulincer M., Orbach I., Iavnieli D. Adult attachment style and affect regulation: Strategic variations in subjective self-other similarity. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 1998, 75:436-448. doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.75.2.436.
49. Mikulincer M., Shaver P.R. The attachment behavioral system in adulthood: Activation, psychodynamics, and interpersonal processes. Advances in experimental social psychology 2003, 53-152. Academic Press, New York. M.P. Zanna (Ed.).
50. Mikulincer M., Shaver P.R. Attachment in adulthood: Structure, dynamics, and change 2007, Guilford Press, New York.
51. Mikulincer M., Shaver P.R. Boosting attachment security to promote mental health, prosocial values, and inter-group tolerance. Psychological Inquiry 2007, 18:139-156.
52. Mikulincer M., Shaver P.R., Pereg D. Attachment theory and affect regulation: The dynamics, development, and cognitive consequences of attachment-related strategies. Motivation and Emotion 2003, 27:77-102. doi: 10.1023/A:1024515519160.
53. Mikulincer M., Shaver P.R., Sapir-Lavid Y., Avihou-Kanza N. What's inside the minds of securely and insecurely attached people? The secure-base script and its associations with attachment-style dimensions. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2009, 97:615-633. doi: 10.1037/a0015649.
54. Noftle E.E., Shaver P.R. Attachment dimensions and the Big Five personality traits: Associations and comparative ability to predict relationship quality. Journal of Research in Personality 2006, 40:179-208. doi: 10.1016/j.jrp.2004.11.003.
55. Proulx G. Researchers learn from World Trade Center survivors' accounts. Construction Innovation 2003, 8(1):1-3.
56. Rice K.G., Cunningham T.J., Young M.B. Attachment to parents, social competence, and emotional well-being: A comparison of Black and White adolescents. Journal of Counseling Psychology 1997, 44:89-101. doi: 10.1037/0022-0167.44.1.89.
57. Roediger H.L., McDermott K.B. Creating false memories: Remembering words not presented in lists. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition 1995, 21:803-814. doi: 10.1037/0278-7393.21.4.803.
58. Rumelhart D.E. Schemata: The building blocks of cognition. Theoretical issues in reading comprehension 1980, 33-58. Erlbaum, Hillsdale, NJ. R.J. Spiro, B.C. Bruce, W.F. Brewer (Eds.).
59. Shaver P.R., Mikulincer M. Attachment-related psychodynamics. Attachment and Human Development 2002, 4:133-161. doi: 10.1080/14616730210154171.
60. Shaver P.R., Mikulincer M., Lavy S., Cassidy J. Understanding and altering hurt feelings: An attachment-theoretical perspective on the generation and regulation of emotions. Feeling hurt in close relationships 2009, 92-122. Cambridge University Press, New York, doi: 10.1017/CBO9780511770548.007. A. Vangelisti (Ed.).
61. Shorey H.S., Snyder C.R., Yang X., Lewin M.R. The role of hope as a mediator in recollected parenting, adult attachment, and mental health. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology 2003, 22:685-715. doi: 10.1521/jscp.22.6.685.22938.
62. Simpson J.A., Rholes W.S., Nelligan J.S. Support seeking and support giving within couples in an anxiety-provoking situation: The role of attachment styles. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 1992, 62:434-446. doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.62.3.434.
63. Simpson J.A., Rholes W.S., Phillips D. Conflict in close relationships: An attachment perspective. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 1996, 71:899-914. doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.71.5.899.
64. Turan B., Osar Z., Turan J.M., Ilkova H., Damci T. Dismissing attachment and outcome in diabetes: The mediating role of coping. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology 2003, 22:607-626. doi: 10.1521/jscp.22.6.607.22933.
65. Van Lange P.A.M., Otten W., De Bruin E.M.N., Joireman J.A. Development of prosocial, individualistic, and competitive orientations: Theory and preliminary evidence. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 1997, 73:733-746.
66. Waters H.S., Rodrigues L.M., Ridgeway D. Cognitive underpinnings of narrative attachment assessment. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology 1998, 71:211-234. doi: 10.1006/jecp.1998.2473.
67. Waters H.S., Waters E. The attachment working models concept: Among other things, we build scriptlike representations of secure base experiences. Attachment and Human Development 2006, 8:185-197. doi: 10.1080/14616730600856016.