adult attachment theory does it relate to anxiety powerpoint

1、Thanks to NSF, the Fetzer Institute, the Marchionne Foundation; Mario Mikulincer, Bar-Ilan University, Israel; Omri Gillath, UC Davis Bowlby published five major books between 1969 and 1988 She invented a laboratory procedure, the Strange Situation, to assess the quality of an infants “attachment” t

2、o its mother Secure attachment facilitates exploration; insecure attachment interferes with it, especially under stressful conditions Is mother near, attentive, responsive? Child feels secure, confident Child explores, is playful and un- inhibited; smiles, is sociable Anxiety Activates attachment be

3、haviors ranging from simple looking to intense crying, searching, and clinging Yes No Defensive suppression of anxiety Maintains proximity while protectively avoiding expression of intense need Confident that parent is available and responsive. Exploration-oriented, emotionally positive. Soothes eas

4、ily. Shows early empathy and ability to talk about emotions. ( sensitive, empathic parental caregiving; coherent parental discussion of emotions) Cries a lot, is anxious, angry. Lacks confidence that parent is accessible and responsive. Inhibited exploration. Attachment behavior is too readily activ

5、ated. ( parental anxiety and uncertainty, parental self- centeredness, misperception of the childs needs and signals, intrusiveness, inconsistency) Cries little during separation and actively avoids parent upon reunion. Engages in rigid, displaced exploratory activity, “turning to the neutral world

6、of things without the true interest of exploration.” ( parental rejection, lack of warmth, discomfort with negative emotions, vulnerability, and physical contact) _ I am uncomfortable being close to others; I find it difficult to trust them completely, difficult to allow myself to depend on them. Im

7、 nervous when anyone gets too close, and relationship partners often want me to be more intimate than I feel comfortable being. _ Relationship partners are reluctant to get as close as I would like. I often worry that my partner doesnt really love me or wont want to stay with me. I want to get very

8、close to my partner, and this sometimes scares people away. _ I find it relatively easy to get close to others and am comfortable depending on them. I dont often worry about being abandoned or about someone getting too close to me. HIGH ANXIETY HIGH AVOIDANCE SECURE ANXIOUS / PREOCCUPIED FEARFULLY A

9、VOIDANT DISMISSINGLY AVOIDANT LOW ANXIETY LOW AVOIDANCE 1. I prefer not to show how I feel deep down. 2. I try to avoid getting too close to my partner. I feel comfortable depending on my partner. (reverse-scored) I turn to my partner for many things, including comfort and reassurance. (reverse-scor

10、ed) I rarely worry about being abandoned. (reverse-scored) 2. I need a lot of reassurance that my partner loves me. I get frustrated if my partner is not available when needed. I resent it when my partner is away from me. less invested in close relationships (lower interest and commitment) describes

11、 parents as rejecting and/or emotionally cool (and maybe also abusive, alcoholic) has difficulty recalling emotional episodes from childhood (repression) expresses less grief following loss doesnt use touch to communicate affection or intimacy withdraws from partner when partner is distressed (poor

12、at caregiving) feels bored and distant during social interactions (in diary studies) doesnt like to self-disclose and doesnt approve of others who disclose projects own negative traits onto others and moves away from them claims not to be afraid of death but exhibits death anxiety on the TAT deeply

13、invested in relationships yet contributes to frequent break-ups describes parents as intrusive and unfair; is still angry at them grieves intensely following loss and has trouble achieving resolution is frequently jealous and afraid romantic partner will leave one negative emotional memory initiates

14、 a flood of others worries about rejection or disapproval during daily interactions (in diary studies) self-discloses too much and indiscriminately, wants to get close quickly is both consciously and unconsciously afraid of death (“the ultimate separation”) values and enjoys relationships and tends

15、to have long ones describes parents in generally favorable (though not unrealistic) terms grieves losses but achieves resolution or reorganization enjoys sexual exploration, but usually in the context of a long-term relationship copes with stress by seeking actual or symbolic social support supports

16、 partner when partner is distressed (compassionate, responsive) self-discloses appropriately and likes others to self-disclose appropriately relatively unafraid of death (at both conscious and unconscious levels) Reacts to mortality salience with an increased desire for intimacy and a heightened sen

17、se of symbolic immortality (rather than becoming ethnocentric and hostile to outgroups, as insecure people tend to do) Subliminal (very fast) priming with a threat word (e.g., failure, illness, death) leads to greater accessibility of attachment-related concepts e.g., faster responses to attachment-

18、related words (love, hug, secure, close) in a lexical decision task (Mikulincer et al., JPSP, 2000) Secure people activate positive but not negative attachment concepts; anxious people activate both positive and negative concepts; avoidant people activate both, but activate the negative ones only af

19、ter a “cognitive load” has been added Avoidance seems to require effortful suppression Subliminal priming with a threat word (e.g., failure, separation) increases accessibility of attachment figures names (including “God” or “Jesus” for some people), but not names of other familiar people Attachment

20、 anxiety correlates with faster access to attachment figures names regardless of threat Avoidant attachment correlates with slower access to attachment figures names (suppression, inhibition) when the threat word is “separation,” but not “failure” (so the suppression seems to be attachment-specific,

21、 not achievement-related) milliseconds Kunce and I (1994) developed a questionnaire to measure caregiving orientations in romantic relationships and found that anxious individuals are more intrusive, less sensitive caregivers; avoidant individuals are less inclined to provide care Collins and Feeney

22、 have shown the same thing in several laboratory studies of couples This made us wonder whether compassion and generous caregiving could be enhanced by increasing a persons sense of security (as Bowlby and Ainsworth showed exploration can be) Theory: Having a sense of attachment security allows peop

23、le to open themselves to unfamiliar others and consider others worldviews This is supported by child-development research linking secure attachment with exploration, curiosity, and reduced fear of strangers Because of the plasticity of the attachment system (demonstrated in previous developmental an

24、d clinical studies), we thought security priming might cause even anxious and avoidant people to become more tolerant In 5 experiments (conducted in Israel), we primed thoughts and feelings related to attachment security for example, by having people imagine being optimally supported and cared for f

25、or example, with words such as love, hug, secure, presented subliminally We then assessed feelings toward a variety of out- groups (as viewed by secular Jewish university students: Arabs, Ultra-Orthodox Jews, Russian immigrants, homosexuals) Attachment style was measured beforehand. Relevant control

26、 conditions (positive affect, neutral affect, in- group targets) were included, and potential confounds (alternative explanations, such as positive mood) were measured and evaluated In all 5 experiments, security primes, whether conscious or unconscious, eliminated the difference between in-group an

27、d out-group tolerance Similar effects did not occur for positive emotion primes (e.g., “success,” “happy”) unrelated to love or attachment Anxious attachment was consistently related to perceiving out-group members as threatening Security priming effects were not mediated (i.e., not explained) by po

28、sitive mood Security priming did not interact with attachment style, suggesting that everyones sense of security can be enhanced, regardless of initial security or insecurity, with equally beneficial effects on tolerance Theory: A secure person is able to focus on others suffering and activate behav

29、ioral systems such as caregiving rather than (self-protective) anxiety This idea is supported by child- development research linking secure attachment with empathic responses to people who are needy or suffering, even in the preschool years We conducted large-scale questionnaire studies in the U.S.,

30、 Holland, and Israel People completed the usual ECR measures of attachment anxiety and avoidance, along with measures of number of volunteer services performed, time devoted to volunteer activities, and motives for engaging in such activities Avoidant people volunteered less, and when they did volun

31、teer, they did it for less generous reasons, suggesting a lack of compassion or generosity Anxious people didnt volunteer more or less than secure ones, but they got involved for more security-enhancing reasons (e.g., to feel included and be appreciated by others) Measures of alternative explanatory

32、 concepts (e.g., self-esteem, interpersonal problems) did not account for the findings We decided to study compassion experimentally In one experiment, security was increased by unconscious (subliminal) priming with names of supportive attachment figures In a second experiment, security was increase

33、d by conscious priming (asking people to think about specific examples of being comforted, taken care of) In both studies people were asked to help a suffering woman by taking her place in a stressful lab situation (in reality, she was an actress appearing via videotape, but participants didnt know

34、this) Compassion (7-point scale, 6 items) “Rate the extent to which you felt” compassionate sympathetic Personal Distress (7-point scale, 8 items) “Rate the extent to which you felt” alarmed distressed Stated Willingness to Help (7-point scale, single item) “To what extent did you wish you could hel

35、p the other participant?” Actual Willingness to Help (yes or no) “Would you be willing to help the other participant by replacing her and completing the rest of her tasks?” 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5 Security Prime Close-Person Prime Acquantance Prime * Significant effect of security prime Pers

36、onal Distress Compassion Rated Willingness to Help * * 0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 Security Prime Close-Person Prime Acquantance Prime Actual Willingness to Help * * Significant effect of security prime The results were the same in both studies (using conscious and unconscious priming), and were h

37、ighly similar in Israel and the U.S. Avoidant people were less compassionate and less willing to help Anxious people were more distressed, but this didnt increase their compassion or altruism The beneficial effects of enhanced security appeared without regard for anxiety or avoidance; that is, the e

38、ffects again were general Conclusion: Even dispositionally insecure people become more compassionate and altruistic when they feel more secure One pair (US and Israeli) showed that the effects Ive just described couldnt be explained by opportunity to elevate ones own mood (a manipulated variable) or

39、 by self-esteem and neuroticism (two self-report variables). A second pair of studies showed that the effects couldnt be explained by “empathic joy,” self-esteem, or neuroticism. A third, that the effects couldnt be explained by relatedness to the suffering person (or by self-esteem and neuroticism)

40、. In two of the three sets of studies, the egoistic alternative explanations applied only to avoidant participants. In several studies, we examined associations between attachment anxiety, avoidance, and dispositional gratitude and forgiveness We also examined associations between the two attachment

41、 dimensions and peoples subjective experiences of gratitude and forgiveness (thoughts, feelings, and wishes associated with feeling grateful to someone or forgiving someone who caused suffering) We checked to see whether these associations could be explained by other variables, such as self-esteem a

42、nd general trust Avoidant people were less grateful (dispositionally) and reported less positive experiences of gratitude (more threats to self, less happiness and love) Anxious people were neither more nor less grateful than secure ones, but reported a more ambivalent experience of gratitude (more

43、happiness/love, but also more feelings of inferiority and obligation) This was not explained by self-esteem or trust; it really seemed to be due to attachment insecurity Avoidant people were less forgiving (dispositionally), more likely to seek revenge, and more negative in their experiences of forg

44、iveness (deeper emotional wounds, more thoughts about relationship deterioration, fewer thoughts about relationship enhancement, less understanding of the others actions) Anxious people were neither more nor less forgiving than secure ones, but they experienced forgiveness as insufficient to cure de

45、ep psychological wounds to the self The findings were not explained by self-esteem or trust We also explored whether security enhancement might strengthen two self-transcendent values: benevolence (being loving and kind toward people with whom one has frequent personal contact) and universalism (und

46、erstanding, appreciation, tolerance, and protection of all people) It did . . . * Significant effect of security prime BenevolenceUniversalism * * Can a security induction reduce the negative psychological effects of trauma (post-traumatic stress symptoms)? We (Mikulincer, Shaver, Indian philosophy

47、and religion, in the other). I want to present some preliminary “l(fā)oose” ideas about this similarity, for discussion. I had an opportunity to discuss this with HH the Dalai Lama in October of 2004 Loose idea # 1: The Root of Suffering “We fear losing our illusion of security thats what makes us so an

48、xious. The mind is always seeking zones of safety, and these zones are continually falling apart. Thats the essence of samsara the cycle of suffering that comes from continuing to seek happiness in all the wrong places” (Pema Chdrn, Comfortable with Uncertainty, 2003, pp. 23-24). Comment: This is si

49、milar to attachment researchers notion that some methods of coping with threats are healthier than others. But Chdrn writes as if everyone has an anxious, grasping mind. Attachment suggests this is a relative matter. People who have been treated well by attachment figures are measurably less afraid

50、of death, more open cognitively and emotionally, less easily thrown off course. Also, context matters (because it creates different degrees of threat). “Repressing” and “Grasping” versus Maintaining Balance and Equanimity “Its helpful to remind yourself that meditation is about opening and relaxing

51、to whatever arises, without picking and choosing. Its definitely not meant to repress anything, and its not intended to encourage grasping, either. To the degree that were willing to see our enmeshment or grasping and our repressing clearly, they begin to wear themselves out. Thats what were doing i

52、n meditation: Up come all these thoughts, but rather than squelch them or obsess about them, we acknowledge them and let them fade” (Chdrn, pp. 35, 47-48). Comment: This is similar to the idea in attachment theory that the major forms of insecurity are avoidance (repression, squelching) and anxiety

53、(grasping, obsessing), with security being more open, more relaxed, less defensive. Its interesting that the forms of insecurity emphasized by the two theories are so similar. ANXIOUS, WORRIED GRASPING DEFENSIVE SUPPRESSION NONDEFENSIVE EQUANIMITY ANXIOUS PREOCCUPATION VACILLATION, AMBIVALENCE, DISO

54、RGANIZED ATTEMPTS AT CONTROL DEFENSIVE DENIAL NOT GRASPING OPENLY ACCEPTING Loose idea # 2: The attachment dimensions are like the two problems noted during meditation A common Buddhist prayer is: “I take refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha.” HH the Dalai Lama: “Which object of refuge w

55、ill never deceive us? There are three: the rare and supreme Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. The Buddha is the protector and is like a doctor; the precious dharma is like the medicine; and the spiritual sangha is like a nurse, taking care of us like a good friend” (The Heart of Compassion, 2002,

56、pp. 17-22). There are very similar notions in attachment theory, including the central notion that available, sensitive attachment figures provide a “safe haven” (a refuge, a “nurse”) and a “secure base.” Loose idea # 3: Taking refuge in the “triple gem” Loose idea #4: Our experiments parallel the B

57、uddhist cultivation of compassion “To begin, we start where we are. We connect with the place where we currently feel loving-kindness, compassion, joy, or equanimity, however limited. We aspire that we and our loved ones enjoy the results of our practice. Then we gradually extend that aspiration to

58、a widening circle of relationships: May I be free from suffering and the root of suffering. May you be free from suffering and the root of suffering. May all beings be free of suffering and the root of suffering” (Chdrn, pp. 66-67). Comment: This and related practices are similar to our attachment security inductions, which reduce outgroup prejudice and foster compassion, altruism, gratitude, and forgiveness. We began with reminders of othe