A SOCIAL-COGNITIVE MODEL OF CHANGE IN ATTACHMENT STYLES

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DESCRIPTION (Adapted from applicant's abstract): Recently, social psychologist have used the principle of infant attachment theory to understand romantic relationships in adulthood. One consequence of this approach has been an almost exclusive emphasis on the continuity of attachment styles across the lifespan and a concurrent neglect of the conditions that might promote change or instability in these styles. The research proposed in this grant is designed to further understanding of the mechanisms that underlie stability and change in attachment orientations. In order to achieve this goal, it was proposed that attachment styles be explicity conceptualized as manifestations of two underlying schemas (one concerning the liveability of the self and the second, concerning the trustworthiness of others). Second, it was suggested that the knowledge contained in such schemas can vary in accessibility. Although a subset of individual's attachment-related knowledge may be frequently activated and thus, highly accessible (their "baseline" attachment style), interactions between an individual and his/her environment and/or current romantic partner may prime less-frequently accessed attachment-related knowledge (a "working" attachment style). If activated frequently or continuously, this working attachment style may become highly accessible and may eventually result in a change in an individual's baseline attachment style. Five experiments were proposed to test these ideas. Specifically, in these studies we: (a) propose to develop and validate a continuous measure of the schemas underlying adult attachment classifactions, using response latencies; (b) show that in response to situational factors (e.g., rejection) a working attachment style may be primed; and (c) demonstrate that, once primed this working attachment style will influence perceptions and interpretations of attachment-related events. The studies proposed in this grant are viewed as necessary first steps in a more long-term research program designed to explore the effects of personal factor (e.g., certainty of attachment-related schemas), ongoing social psychological processes (e.g., basic schematic information processing) and situational variables (e.g., characteristics of one's current romantic partner) on stability and change in attachment styles over time. Finally, prior research has demonstrated convincingly that individuals with insecure attachment styles are "at risk" for a host of negative psychological outcomes. The crucial mediator underlying such outcomes is likely to be negative attachment-related schemas. Thus, research aimed at a clear understanding of the factors that promote change in these schemas is a critical antecedent of therapeutic interventions aimed at altering the maladaptive patterns experienced by insecure individuals.