Attachment Style Essay

Those with insecure attachments tend to have lower relationship satisfaction compared to those who are securely attached. Those who have a secure attachment style provide a caregiving role, their behaviors are responsive and sensitive, non-controlling and show interest during interactions. Secures are affectionate with touch, enjoy physical contact (intimate & sexual) and are willing to ask for support. Individuals with an insecure anxious attachment are more self-focused and always looking for approval and support from their partner regardless of low and high stress situations. Anxious attachment individuals are also over caring and hyper vigilant. Lastly, individuals with an avoidant attachment value independence and have low levels of self-disclosure. Avoidant individuals are less likely to use touch to express affection and are uncomfortable with intimate sexual contact. In short, being aware of your attachment style and your partners can shed light on marital conflict and possible solutions and corrective behaviors to better marital

The preoccupied attachment style is characterized by low fear of closeness and high fear of abandonment. Individuals classified as preoccupied have a negative model of themselves. Because preoccupies see themselves as unworthy of love and unsupportive, they tend to “strive for self-acceptance by gaining the acceptance of valued others” (Bartholomew, 227) and would do everything to keep people in their life; Preoccupied individuals try to avoid any kind of conflict in order to make themselves loveable and others happy. Despite the fact that preoccupies often see others as trustworthy and available, they also feel that others do not care about them as much as they care about others.

Individual attachment style and its effects on adult romantic relationships were examined. The hypothesis of this literature review was that insecure attachment style would negatively affect the overall dynamic of adult romantic relationships while secure attachment would promote positive and healthy romantic relationships. Empirical studies looking at attachment style and relationship issues such as one’s views of self and others, communication, sexual intimacy, childhood family dynamic and God were evaluated. Reviews of studies were in line with the hypothesis indicating that insecure attachment does negatively affect the overall dynamic of romantic

The importance of continuing the bond between the bereaved individual and the deceased is another prominent aspect of current grief theories (Corr & Coolican, 2010). Past theories emphasized letting go of the bereaved individual; however, current theories suggest continuing the bond allows bereaved individuals to learn how to live with the loss of their loved one. Klass et al. (1996) stressed the importance of continuing bonds for parents who have lost a child and allowing parents to continue their relationship with their child past his/her death. This allows the parents to reconstruct their identity and integrate the loss into their lives without severing the relationship they held so close to their heart (Klass, 1996).

Fraley (2002) completed a meta analysis of studies concerning attachment in order to investigate the level of attachment pattern’s continuity throughout life. The study indicated that there was a certain stability of the attachment pattern, and that the stability is independent of time. Even though it is theorized that a secure pattern will be likely to stay unchanged, it is still indicated that experiences such as bad relationships will be able to change the attachment pattern (Fraley,

Participant’s attachment security was contextually primed through one of four conditions: recollect personal memories, reading a story, viewing a picture of supportive others, or subliminal exposure to proximity-related words. It was hypothesized that priming for attachment security would increase empathic responses when thinking of more positive self-models and lead to reduced personal distress. In regards to styles of attachment, it was hypothesized that anxiously-attached individuals would be less empathetic due to negative models of self while avoidant-attached individuals hold negative models of others. Mikulicer et al., (2001) research consisted of five studies all following similar

* Yearning – a common and normal response of bereavement, it may feature until the survivor reaches acceptance.

Attachment, expectedness, and grief accumulation, are important variables that impact the way an individual experiences grief, further influencing the way they heal (Golden, 2000). Marilyn is experiencing circumstances that influence how she is grieving. Her son, who was a major part of her life, died unexpectedly in a car accident. Additionally, she is experiencing accumulated grief from a lack of closure after her father passed away. Golden (2000) reports that when an individual loses someone they are very attached to they will experience a greater degree of grief. Furthermore, if the loss was unexpected, such as a car accident, the grief will be significantly different than if it was expected. Another important factor in the grieving process focuses on the presence of accumulated grief. If grief isn’t acknowledged and/or dealt with, it can have an impact on everyday life and can affect the way an individual copes with other grief occurrences (Golden, 2000). Marilyn still has unresolved issues revolving around her parents’ divorce and subsequent death of her father.

The attachment theory of Bowlby (1980) helps to explain human bonding, conceptualize attachment, and proximity seeking. According to Lee and Hankin (2009) comfort received from caregiver reassure a child that at the time of distress caregiver will be with them. Furthermore, Lee and Hankin (2009) explains that the attachment within infant-caregiver is regarded as a basis for future relation dynamics of a child. Child, who is having anxious attachment are having difficulty to take caregiver as a secure person and they are characterized as anxious person (Lee & Hankin, 2009). Hamilton (2000) explained about a 12-year longitudinal study that found infant attachment style helps to predict attachment style in adolescence. In addition, a meta-analysis

One of these attachment styles was suggested to account for the majority of children and was depicted as a secure attachment style (Ainsworth, 1971, 1978). Secure attachment was suggested to account for 70% of the children, and consisted of traits that the child signified during the experiment, such as, responding with positively when their primary caregiver returned to them after a period of separation, despite the child signifying distress when the primary caregiver was absent (Ainsworth, 1971, 1978).The second type of attachment style Ainsworth (1971, 1978) established was an insecure attachment style; however, this was separated into two categories: anxious and avoidant. Whilst children who were categorised as having an anxious attachment style were suggested to account for 15% of children, and signified ambivalent behaviour towards their primary caregiver when they reunited with them, children who were suggested to have an avoidant attachment style accounted for 15% of children and avoided proximity or interaction with the primary caregiver on reunion Ainsworth (1971,

Whether you grew up with organized or disorganized attachment, every type effects how you handle relationships as an adult. Rising studies show that connection early on has a sufficient role in adulthood bonds (Morris & Weiss, 1982). The process of studying infant to adult attachment was mainly started by two men named Hazan and Shaver in 1987. Shaver and Hazen (1988) connected their theory to past establishments of how we love. They also gave sufficient support for the three different attachment types. Positive characteristics in relationships correlate to secure attachment; Couples who show less intimacy and happiness tend to be involved in avoidant attachment; anxious-ambivalent attachment correlates to couples who show no satisfaction, except intimacy. (Feeney & Noller, 1990). Thanks to all the data and studies collects

Our strategies for managing strong emotions and relationships in adulthood based on our experiences regarding whether attachment figures are available to us in childhood.

Investigators conducted a series of experiments to investigate the relationship between insecure attachment styles, and depression. Several factors are correlated with depression and dependency which states that “thoughts, emotions, and behavioral characteristics related to the need to communicate with and depend on others (Hirschfeld et al., 1977). The role attachment style and depression are investigated and it is hypothesized that insecure attachments strongly correlate with depression rather than securely attached individuals which do not.

There is an abundance of research concerning attachment theory. This research ranges in age, environment, and time, place, can focus on one attachment style, and on certain situations. According to research from Fraley and Shaver (2000), attachment theorists have construed a variety of 3 functions that separate attachment relationships from other kinds of relationships. The first is that an attachment bond is marked by the tendency for a person to remain in close contact with the attachment figure, and when separated, typically experience some degree of distress. Secondly, the attachment figure is considered a “safe haven” when struck with illness, danger, or threat, and is seen as a protector or supporter. Third, an attachment figure promotes

However, when attachment figures are not reliably available and supportive, a sense of security is not attained, negative working models of self and others are formed, and secondary strategies of affect regulation come into play. These secondary strategies are of two kinds: hyperactivation and deactivation of the attachment system (Cassidy & Kobak, 1988; Mikulincer & Shaver, 2003.) Hyperactivation is characterized by energetic, insistent attempts to induce a relationship partner, viewed as insufficiently available or responsive, to pay more attention and provide better care and support. Hyperactivating strategies include clinging, controlling, and coercive responses, cognitive and behavioral efforts to establish proximity, and overdependence