In Buddhism compassion is defined as the wish that all beings be free of their suffering. (N. Vre... more In Buddhism compassion is defined as the wish that all beings be free of their suffering. (N. Vreeland, in Dalai Lama, 2001) For centuries, compassion has been a central virtue in all major religious traditions. It has also appeared-sometimes indirectly-in the literature on social psychology under headings such as empathy, altruism, and prosocial behavior (e.g. Batson et al., 1999). In psychotherapy, compassion has been viewed as crucial, but again, often under different names-empathy, unconditional positive regard, containment or holding, client-therapist rapport, and working alliance. Compassion appears, partially disguised, in the extensive literature on good parenting, under headings such as availability, sensitivity, and responsiveness. In recent years compassion has become visible in its own right, partly because of the growing emphasis in educated circles on Buddhism, which highlights compassion (Dalai Lama, 2001, 2002), and partly because of the tendency for compassion to wear thin in cases of 'compassion fatigue' (e.g. Keidel, 2002), a common problem in the helping professions. When one considers compassion from the standpoint of attachment theory (Ainsworth & Bowlby, 1991; Bowlby, 1969/1982; Cassidy & Shaver, 1999), the theoretical framework in which our own research is conducted (see Mikulincer & Shaver (2003) for an overview), compassion is associated with what Bowlby called the 'caregiving behavioral system'-an innate behavioral system in parents and other caregivers that responds to the needs of dependent others, especially (but not limited to) children. This behavioral system is thought to have evolved mainly to complement the 'attachment behavioral system,' which governs people's, especially young children's, emotional attachments to their caregivers (Gilbert, Chapter 2). Much of the research based on extensions of Bowlby's child-oriented theory into adolescence and adulthood focuses on attachment, and individual differences in attachment, in the context of peer relationships, including romantic Chapter 4
Research on attachment and condom use has been limited to correlational studies of selfreport mea... more Research on attachment and condom use has been limited to correlational studies of selfreport measures, yielding inconsistent results. Here, we examined the causal effects of attachment priming on self-reported condom use attitudes and an observational measure of condom acquisition behavior. In three experiments, participants were exposed to one of three attachment primes (security, anxiety, or avoidance) or a control prime. For Study 1, participants in the security and anxiety conditions preferred condom non-use to a greater extent, compared to participants in the avoidance condition. This effect was replicated in Study 2, and was mediated by perceptions of sexual health threat. In Study 3, the effect of security priming on condom acquisition behavior was eliminated through the use of a framing manipulation, though, the effect of primed attachment on condom use attitudes was not significant. A Meta-Analysis, however, revealed that the predicted effects of attachment priming were consistent across the three studies, supporting the role of attachment in evaluations of condom use. Priming attachment security or anxiety lead participants to perceive their sexual partners as less of a sexual health threat, resulting in a devaluation of condom use. Primed security also reduced condom acquisition behavior, though this negative effect eliminated by framing condoms as protecting a partner's sexual health. Overall, these studies suggest that relational factors, such as attachment, require greater consideration when studying sexual health and designing interventions.
Why are some people relatively secure in their attachment styles whereas other are less so? The p... more Why are some people relatively secure in their attachment styles whereas other are less so? The purpose of this chapter is to review theory and research on what makes some children more secure than others, how these early experiences shape other kinds of psychological and interpersonal resources (eg, social competence and friendship relationships), and how those factors, collectively, may help us understand adult attachment. We also caution readers that there is unlikely to be a “smoking gun” in personality development and emphasize the ways in which each juncture in development represents both an opportunity to sustain attachment patterns and to change them.
The purpose of this chapter is to review theory and research on the stability of adult attachment... more The purpose of this chapter is to review theory and research on the stability of adult attachment styles. We review some of Bowlby’s ideas on canalization—the ways in which attachment patterns become entrenched across time. We also review research on factors that promote stability and factors that promote change. We discuss alternative ways of conceptualizing the basic processes that give rise to continuity and change and explain their implications for how we understand stability. Finally, we review cross-sectional research on how attachment styles vary over different age periods.
People tend to use different strategies to dissolve their romantic relationships (Baxter, 1982). ... more People tend to use different strategies to dissolve their romantic relationships (Baxter, 1982). The factors predicting selection of breakup strategies, and especially personality factors, have received relatively little attention. In five studies, using community and students samples, we revised the measure used to assess breakup strategy use, examined the outcomes of the revised strategies, and investigated the associations of these strategies with attachment dimensions. Attachment avoidance was associated with using less direct breakup strategies; whereas attachment anxiety was associated with using strategies meant to keep open the option of getting back together. In Studies 4 and 5, attachment-security primes were found to decrease these tendencies. Implications for relationship dissolution and attachment theory are discussed.
The formation of new attachment bonds is not a quick process; neither does it take place in a soc... more The formation of new attachment bonds is not a quick process; neither does it take place in a social vacuum. Rather, attachment bonds take significant time to form and usually develop within the context of a person’s broader network of social relationships. As people sail through life, they have to navigate various transitions. One of the main challenges in these transitions is the formation of new attachment bonds out of the various social ties people have. Our research, summarized in the current chapter, focuses on the way people go about managing these social ties. We start the chapter with an overview of the attachment and affiliation behavioral systems and their interplay. After a short introduction on social networks, we explain how the dynamic between the two behavioral systems is likely to influence the formation of attachment bonds from one’s social network. We then review our research program, which has focused on: (1) the associations between attachment and social network characteristics—namely density and multiplexity, (2) attachment and the management of social networks, and, (3) outcomes of the associations between attachment and social network configuration and management. In doing so, we interpret our research in terms of what it means for the formation, maintenance, and dissolution of attachment bonds. We conclude the chapter by highlighting the theoretical and practical implications of our work as well as outline future research in the area.
Chronic illness and the death of a romantic partner are two of the most significant stressors rep... more Chronic illness and the death of a romantic partner are two of the most significant stressors reported by older adults, resulting in various physical and mental health consequences. Evidence suggests that social support is a key factor in understanding the association between chronic illness and widowhood and the wellbeing of older adults. Nevertheless, research into social support is often approached in an atheoretical manner when investigating these stressors in older adulthood. We attempt to address this theoretical chasm by proposing an integrative model to explain social support processes in older couples which draws on models of social support and attachment theory. Our model provides an important framework for understanding existing research findings as well as guiding future research.
ObjectivePersonality changes across the life span. Life events, such as marriage, becoming a pare... more ObjectivePersonality changes across the life span. Life events, such as marriage, becoming a parent, and retirement, have been proposed as facilitating personality growth via the adoption of novel social roles. However, empirical evidence linking life events with personality development is sparse. Most studies have relied on few assessments separated by long time intervals and have focused on a single life event. In contrast, the content of life is composed of small, recurrent experiences (e.g., getting sick or practicing a hobby), with relatively few major events (e.g., childbirth). Small, frequently experienced life events may play an important and overlooked role in personality development.MethodThe present study examined the extent to which 25 major and minor life events alter the trajectory of personality development in a large, frequently assessed sample (Nsample = 4904, Nassessments = 47,814, median retest interval = 35 days).ResultsUsing a flexible analytic strategy to accom...
The current review covers two lines of research linking attachment and social networks. One focus... more The current review covers two lines of research linking attachment and social networks. One focuses on attachment networks (the people who fulfill one's attachment needs), examining composition and age-related differences pertaining to these networks. The other line integrates attachment with social network analysis to investigate how individual differences in adult attachment are associated with the management and characteristics (e.g., density, multiplexity, and centrality) of people's social networks. We show that most people's attachment networks are small and hierarchical, with one figure being the primary attachment figure (often a mother or romantic partner, depending on age). Furthermore, attachment style predicts network characteristics and management, such that insecurity is associated with less closeness, multiplexity, centrality, and poorer management (less maintenance, more dissolution).
This chapter reviews research on the interplay between the attachment behavioral system and other... more This chapter reviews research on the interplay between the attachment behavioral system and other behavioral systems, such as the caregiving, sex, and exploration systems. The chapter discusses the theoretical models related to the functioning of each behavioral system. We also review research demonstrating how changes in one behavioral system can influence the functioning of another behavioral system.
Sexual arousal is thought to be the result of the processing of sexual cues at two levels: consci... more Sexual arousal is thought to be the result of the processing of sexual cues at two levels: conscious and unconscious. Whereas numerous studies have examined the affective and motivational responses to supraliminal (consciously processed) sexual cues, much less is known regarding the responses to subliminal (processed outside of one's awareness) sexual cues. Five studies examined responses to subliminal sexual cues. Studies 1-3 demonstrated increases in adult's positive affect following exposure to subliminal sexual cues compared to control cues. Study 4 demonstrated that the positive affect resulting from exposure to subliminal sexual cues increased motivation to further engage in a neutral task. Study 5 provided evidence suggesting that the affect and motivation found in Studies 1-4 were associated with motivation to engage in sex specifically, rather than a general approach motivation. The implications of these findings for the processing of subliminal sexual cues and for ...
In Buddhism compassion is defined as the wish that all beings be free of their suffering. (N. Vre... more In Buddhism compassion is defined as the wish that all beings be free of their suffering. (N. Vreeland, in Dalai Lama, 2001) For centuries, compassion has been a central virtue in all major religious traditions. It has also appeared-sometimes indirectly-in the literature on social psychology under headings such as empathy, altruism, and prosocial behavior (e.g. Batson et al., 1999). In psychotherapy, compassion has been viewed as crucial, but again, often under different names-empathy, unconditional positive regard, containment or holding, client-therapist rapport, and working alliance. Compassion appears, partially disguised, in the extensive literature on good parenting, under headings such as availability, sensitivity, and responsiveness. In recent years compassion has become visible in its own right, partly because of the growing emphasis in educated circles on Buddhism, which highlights compassion (Dalai Lama, 2001, 2002), and partly because of the tendency for compassion to wear thin in cases of 'compassion fatigue' (e.g. Keidel, 2002), a common problem in the helping professions. When one considers compassion from the standpoint of attachment theory (Ainsworth & Bowlby, 1991; Bowlby, 1969/1982; Cassidy & Shaver, 1999), the theoretical framework in which our own research is conducted (see Mikulincer & Shaver (2003) for an overview), compassion is associated with what Bowlby called the 'caregiving behavioral system'-an innate behavioral system in parents and other caregivers that responds to the needs of dependent others, especially (but not limited to) children. This behavioral system is thought to have evolved mainly to complement the 'attachment behavioral system,' which governs people's, especially young children's, emotional attachments to their caregivers (Gilbert, Chapter 2). Much of the research based on extensions of Bowlby's child-oriented theory into adolescence and adulthood focuses on attachment, and individual differences in attachment, in the context of peer relationships, including romantic Chapter 4
Research on attachment and condom use has been limited to correlational studies of selfreport mea... more Research on attachment and condom use has been limited to correlational studies of selfreport measures, yielding inconsistent results. Here, we examined the causal effects of attachment priming on self-reported condom use attitudes and an observational measure of condom acquisition behavior. In three experiments, participants were exposed to one of three attachment primes (security, anxiety, or avoidance) or a control prime. For Study 1, participants in the security and anxiety conditions preferred condom non-use to a greater extent, compared to participants in the avoidance condition. This effect was replicated in Study 2, and was mediated by perceptions of sexual health threat. In Study 3, the effect of security priming on condom acquisition behavior was eliminated through the use of a framing manipulation, though, the effect of primed attachment on condom use attitudes was not significant. A Meta-Analysis, however, revealed that the predicted effects of attachment priming were consistent across the three studies, supporting the role of attachment in evaluations of condom use. Priming attachment security or anxiety lead participants to perceive their sexual partners as less of a sexual health threat, resulting in a devaluation of condom use. Primed security also reduced condom acquisition behavior, though this negative effect eliminated by framing condoms as protecting a partner's sexual health. Overall, these studies suggest that relational factors, such as attachment, require greater consideration when studying sexual health and designing interventions.
Why are some people relatively secure in their attachment styles whereas other are less so? The p... more Why are some people relatively secure in their attachment styles whereas other are less so? The purpose of this chapter is to review theory and research on what makes some children more secure than others, how these early experiences shape other kinds of psychological and interpersonal resources (eg, social competence and friendship relationships), and how those factors, collectively, may help us understand adult attachment. We also caution readers that there is unlikely to be a “smoking gun” in personality development and emphasize the ways in which each juncture in development represents both an opportunity to sustain attachment patterns and to change them.
The purpose of this chapter is to review theory and research on the stability of adult attachment... more The purpose of this chapter is to review theory and research on the stability of adult attachment styles. We review some of Bowlby’s ideas on canalization—the ways in which attachment patterns become entrenched across time. We also review research on factors that promote stability and factors that promote change. We discuss alternative ways of conceptualizing the basic processes that give rise to continuity and change and explain their implications for how we understand stability. Finally, we review cross-sectional research on how attachment styles vary over different age periods.
People tend to use different strategies to dissolve their romantic relationships (Baxter, 1982). ... more People tend to use different strategies to dissolve their romantic relationships (Baxter, 1982). The factors predicting selection of breakup strategies, and especially personality factors, have received relatively little attention. In five studies, using community and students samples, we revised the measure used to assess breakup strategy use, examined the outcomes of the revised strategies, and investigated the associations of these strategies with attachment dimensions. Attachment avoidance was associated with using less direct breakup strategies; whereas attachment anxiety was associated with using strategies meant to keep open the option of getting back together. In Studies 4 and 5, attachment-security primes were found to decrease these tendencies. Implications for relationship dissolution and attachment theory are discussed.
The formation of new attachment bonds is not a quick process; neither does it take place in a soc... more The formation of new attachment bonds is not a quick process; neither does it take place in a social vacuum. Rather, attachment bonds take significant time to form and usually develop within the context of a person’s broader network of social relationships. As people sail through life, they have to navigate various transitions. One of the main challenges in these transitions is the formation of new attachment bonds out of the various social ties people have. Our research, summarized in the current chapter, focuses on the way people go about managing these social ties. We start the chapter with an overview of the attachment and affiliation behavioral systems and their interplay. After a short introduction on social networks, we explain how the dynamic between the two behavioral systems is likely to influence the formation of attachment bonds from one’s social network. We then review our research program, which has focused on: (1) the associations between attachment and social network characteristics—namely density and multiplexity, (2) attachment and the management of social networks, and, (3) outcomes of the associations between attachment and social network configuration and management. In doing so, we interpret our research in terms of what it means for the formation, maintenance, and dissolution of attachment bonds. We conclude the chapter by highlighting the theoretical and practical implications of our work as well as outline future research in the area.
Chronic illness and the death of a romantic partner are two of the most significant stressors rep... more Chronic illness and the death of a romantic partner are two of the most significant stressors reported by older adults, resulting in various physical and mental health consequences. Evidence suggests that social support is a key factor in understanding the association between chronic illness and widowhood and the wellbeing of older adults. Nevertheless, research into social support is often approached in an atheoretical manner when investigating these stressors in older adulthood. We attempt to address this theoretical chasm by proposing an integrative model to explain social support processes in older couples which draws on models of social support and attachment theory. Our model provides an important framework for understanding existing research findings as well as guiding future research.
ObjectivePersonality changes across the life span. Life events, such as marriage, becoming a pare... more ObjectivePersonality changes across the life span. Life events, such as marriage, becoming a parent, and retirement, have been proposed as facilitating personality growth via the adoption of novel social roles. However, empirical evidence linking life events with personality development is sparse. Most studies have relied on few assessments separated by long time intervals and have focused on a single life event. In contrast, the content of life is composed of small, recurrent experiences (e.g., getting sick or practicing a hobby), with relatively few major events (e.g., childbirth). Small, frequently experienced life events may play an important and overlooked role in personality development.MethodThe present study examined the extent to which 25 major and minor life events alter the trajectory of personality development in a large, frequently assessed sample (Nsample = 4904, Nassessments = 47,814, median retest interval = 35 days).ResultsUsing a flexible analytic strategy to accom...
The current review covers two lines of research linking attachment and social networks. One focus... more The current review covers two lines of research linking attachment and social networks. One focuses on attachment networks (the people who fulfill one's attachment needs), examining composition and age-related differences pertaining to these networks. The other line integrates attachment with social network analysis to investigate how individual differences in adult attachment are associated with the management and characteristics (e.g., density, multiplexity, and centrality) of people's social networks. We show that most people's attachment networks are small and hierarchical, with one figure being the primary attachment figure (often a mother or romantic partner, depending on age). Furthermore, attachment style predicts network characteristics and management, such that insecurity is associated with less closeness, multiplexity, centrality, and poorer management (less maintenance, more dissolution).
This chapter reviews research on the interplay between the attachment behavioral system and other... more This chapter reviews research on the interplay between the attachment behavioral system and other behavioral systems, such as the caregiving, sex, and exploration systems. The chapter discusses the theoretical models related to the functioning of each behavioral system. We also review research demonstrating how changes in one behavioral system can influence the functioning of another behavioral system.
Sexual arousal is thought to be the result of the processing of sexual cues at two levels: consci... more Sexual arousal is thought to be the result of the processing of sexual cues at two levels: conscious and unconscious. Whereas numerous studies have examined the affective and motivational responses to supraliminal (consciously processed) sexual cues, much less is known regarding the responses to subliminal (processed outside of one's awareness) sexual cues. Five studies examined responses to subliminal sexual cues. Studies 1-3 demonstrated increases in adult's positive affect following exposure to subliminal sexual cues compared to control cues. Study 4 demonstrated that the positive affect resulting from exposure to subliminal sexual cues increased motivation to further engage in a neutral task. Study 5 provided evidence suggesting that the affect and motivation found in Studies 1-4 were associated with motivation to engage in sex specifically, rather than a general approach motivation. The implications of these findings for the processing of subliminal sexual cues and for ...
Dr. Omri Gillath's riveting TEDx talk explores his trailblazing research on the intrinsic benefit... more Dr. Omri Gillath's riveting TEDx talk explores his trailblazing research on the intrinsic benefits of secure relationships. Combining neuroimaging, gene mapping, and advanced cognitive techniques, his extensive research reveals that a healthy attachment with another person not only leads to happiness, but is integral to overall physical health.
Omri Gillath, PhD, is a professor in the Department of Psychology and the Hoglund Brain Imaging Center at the University of Kansas. His work focuses on close relationships, and he uses diverse methodologies including neuroimaging, gene mapping, and advanced cognitive techniques to study attachment, sex, and caregiving. He has published extensively on the topics of interpersonal relationships and relationship neuroscience in leading academic journals, and has two books focusing on these topics; Adult Attachment: A Concise Introduction to Theory and Research, and Relationship Science: Integrating Evolutionary, Neuroscience, and Sociocultural Approaches. Dr. Gillath is an associate editor for the journal Personal Relationships, a member of the editorial board of Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, and a fellow of the Society for Experimental Social Psychology and the Society for Personality and Social Psychology.
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
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Omri Gillath, PhD, is a professor in the Department of Psychology and the Hoglund Brain Imaging Center at the University of Kansas. His work focuses on close relationships, and he uses diverse methodologies including neuroimaging, gene mapping, and advanced cognitive techniques to study attachment, sex, and caregiving. He has published extensively on the topics of interpersonal relationships and relationship neuroscience in leading academic journals, and has two books focusing on these topics; Adult Attachment: A Concise Introduction to Theory and Research, and Relationship Science: Integrating Evolutionary, Neuroscience, and Sociocultural Approaches. Dr. Gillath is an associate editor for the journal Personal Relationships, a member of the editorial board of Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, and a fellow of the Society for Experimental Social Psychology and the Society for Personality and Social Psychology.
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx