Description

In adults as in infants, psychological attachment to close others provides a “secure base” for exploration and pursuit of opportunities. Insecure attachment is likely to interfere with this function. The present study examined the association of individual differences in adult

In adults as in infants, psychological attachment to close others provides a “secure base” for exploration and pursuit of opportunities. Insecure attachment is likely to interfere with this function. The present study examined the association of individual differences in adult attachment style with peripheral physiological measures of automatic orienting to several kinds of positive, rewarding stimuli. Attachment style was largely unrelated to extent of heart rate deceleration in response to the appearance of positive emotion-eliciting images. However, attachment avoidance was associated with reduced skin conductance responding to the onset of several kinds of positive stimuli. These findings suggest that working models of relationships with close others have complex implications for the early stages of responding to opportunities for reward presented by the environment.

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Title
  • An Insecure Base: Attachment Style and Orienting Response to Positive Stimuli
Contributors
Date Created
2015-07-01
Resource Type
  • Text
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    Identifier
    • Digital object identifier: 10.1111/psyp.12422
    • Identifier Type
      International standard serial number
      Identifier Value
      0048-5772
    • Identifier Type
      International standard serial number
      Identifier Value
      1469-8986
    Note
    • This is the peer reviewed version of the article, which has been published in final form at http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/psyp.12422

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    This is a suggested citation. Consult the appropriate style guide for specific citation guidelines.

    Yee, Claire I., & Shiota, Michelle N. (2015). An insecure base: Attachment style and orienting response to positive stimuli. PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGY, 52(7), 905-909. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/psyp.12422

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