Romantic attachment,dyadic coping,and parental adjustment across the transition to parenthood

This study explored the mediating role of common dyadic coping (common DC) on the longitudinal associations between attachment‐related anxiety and avoidance and parental adjustment to the first year postpartum. A total of 92 Portuguese couples completed self‐report questionnaires of romantic attachment, common DC, parenting stress, and parental confidence. Results showed that more avoidant parents (at mid‐pregnancy) engaged less in common DC (at 6 weeks postpartum), which consequently increased their partner's parenting stress (only in mothers) and decreased their partner's parental confidence (in both parents) at 6–9 months postpartum. Anxious attachment did not predict parents' adjustment directly or indirectly. Interventions aimed at preventing adjustment difficulties to early parenthood in more avoidant parents should focus on enhancing their common DC strategies soon after childbirth.     

Adult attachment styles,self‐esteem,and depressive symptoms: A comparison between postpartum and nonpostpartum women in Korea

Life stress related to child bearing has been suggested to increase the risk of maternal depression in vulnerable women who have an insecure relationship. This study examined the relationship between adult attachment security and maternal depression in postpartum women as compared to nonpostpartum women. A total of 254 Korean women were recruited from pediatric hospitals, of whom 119 were in the postpartum period. Participants completed the Relationship Questionnaire, the Beck Depression Inventory, and the Rosenberg Self‐Esteem Scale. Both preoccupied and fearful attachment styles were associated with low self‐esteem and higher levels of depressive symptoms, but a dismissing attachment style was not related to self‐esteem and depression severity. Low self‐esteem was found to mediate the relation between insecure attachment and depression severity; however, this mediating effect differed depending on the insecure attachment style. For preoccupied attachment, the role of self‐esteem as a mediator was observed only in postpartum women, not in nonpostpartum women (moderated mediation). In contrast, for fearful attachment, the mediating effects emerged in both groups. The results highlight the fact that there is a complex mechanism behind the link between interpersonal relationships and risk of maternal depression.     

高中生羞怯与学校适应的关系:同伴依恋的中介作用及年级差异

目的:考察高中学生羞怯、同伴依恋与学校适应之间的关系及其年级差异。方法:以中学生羞怯量表、同伴依恋量表以及学校适应量表为研究工具,从潍坊市两所高中抽取12个班共计605名高中生进行问卷测查。结果:(1)高中生羞怯与同伴依恋、学校适应呈显著负相关; 同伴依恋与学校适应呈显著正相关。(2)同伴依恋在高中生羞怯和学校适应之间起部分中介作用,但同伴依恋在高一学生中中介作用显著,而在高二和高三学生中,这种中介作用不显著。     

Adult Attachment and Dyadic Adjustment: The Mediating Role of Shame

Although it is widely recognized that adult attachment is associated with romantic relationship quality, the mechanisms involved remain poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate the mediating role of external and internal shame on the association between attachment and dyadic adjustment. A battery of self-report measures was completed by 228 Portuguese participants and a serial multiple mediation model was tested. Data showed that, in the population under study, attachment dimensions were associated with worse dyadic adjustment through high external and internal shame. Internal shame alone also mediated the association between attachment avoidance and dyadic adjustment. This study identifies a new putative mechanism linking adult attachment and intimate relationship functioning that may be targeted in couples therapy to promote a better dyadic adjustment and relationship functioning.     

Parental Attachment and Adolescents' Perception of School Alienation: The Mediation Role of Self-Esteem and Adjustment

The present study examined the relationship between adolescents' attachment to parents and their feelings of alienation in the school context by considering the mediating role of adjustment and self-esteem. It was proposed that the degree of attachment to one's parents was associated with adjustment and self-esteem, which in turn predicted possible school alienation. A total of 227 students completed self-report measures on parental attachment, adjustment, self-esteem, and alienation from school. Results were consistent with the attachment theory and related literature that posits that (a) secure attachment to parents was associated with adjustment and self-esteem, (b) secure attachment to parents was negatively associated with feelings of school alienation, and (c) adjustment and self-esteem were a crucial mediators between attachment to parents and school alienation. In addition to enhanced adjustment, the self-esteem of adolescents may be an additional factor in reducing alienation at school. The results also supported the mediator role of self-esteem in the relationship between attachment to parents and adjustment. Finally, the relationship between self-esteem and school alienation were shown to be fully mediated by adjustment. The results were discussed in the context of responsibilities of teachers and school counselors, which may provide both students and parents with the skills to improve social functioning in the school context.     

Individual differences in responses to workplace stress: the contribution of attachment theory

Work stress is a major cause of physical and psychological distress, and both theory and research highlight the importance of individual differences in coping efforts. The present research clarifies the mechanisms linking attachment insecurities (anxiety and avoidance) to maladaptive coping; specifically, we tested an integrative model assessing stress appraisals as a mediator between attachment insecurities and coping strategies, together with mediating and moderating effects of coping resources (perceived self‐efficacy and social support). A community sample of 113 men and 115 women completed an online survey which incorporated a standardized vignette depicting workplace stress. The results supported stress appraisal as a mediator between attachment anxiety and less adaptive coping, and established both mediating and moderating effects of perceived coping resources. The effects support the relevance of attachment theory to the study of workplace stress.     

父母教养投入对青少年情绪和行为适应的影响差异:亲子依恋的中介作用

为比较同一家庭父亲与母亲教养投入对青少年情绪和行为适应的影响及作用机制差异,采用问卷对1155名中小学生进行调查。结果表明:(1)父亲教养投入显著预测青少年情绪适应,母亲教养投入显著预测青少年行为适应;(2)父亲教养投入仅通过父子依恋的完全中介作用影响青少年的情绪和行为适应; 母亲教养投入既通过母子依恋的部分中介作用影响青少年的消极行为适应,也通过父子依恋的部分中介作用影响青少年的情绪和行为适应。结论表明:父亲与母亲教养投入对青少年情绪和行为适应的直接影响存在适应领域的特异性,其作用机制也存在差异。本研究精准地区分出父亲与母亲教养投入影响青少年适应性的特定范围及不同的作用机制,这对于同一家庭内的父亲与母亲教养投入的精准干预提供了新的视角。     

家庭社会经济地位对流动和城市学步儿社会适应的影响:母亲敏感性和依恋安全感的链式中介作用

该研究采用行为观察及编码的方式对81个家庭（39个流动家庭,42个城市家庭）的母亲敏感性和学步儿依恋安全性进行了评估,同时由母亲报告家庭社会经济地位相关的人口统计学信息和学步儿的社会适应程度,旨在探讨家庭社会经济地位与学步儿社会适应的关系,以及母亲敏感性和依恋关系在其中的作用。结果发现：（1）流动学步儿和城市学步儿在家庭养育环境和社会适应结果方面都存在明显差异,流动家庭比城市家庭的社会经济地位低,流动家庭母亲比城市家庭的母亲较不敏感,流动学步儿比城市学步儿的依恋关系更不安全,同时流动学步儿也表现出较差的社会适应能力和更多的外显行为问题以及失调问题;（2）家庭社会经济地位通过母亲敏感性和依恋关系影响学步儿社会适应的链式中间模型在城市学步儿中部分成立,在流动学步儿中不成立;即排除性别的作用后,来自高社会经济地位家庭中的城市母亲表现出的敏感性较高,与学步儿间的依恋关系越安全,这些城市学步儿的社会适应问题也较少;（3）在流动家庭中,无论家庭社会经济地位如何,敏感性较高的母亲与学步儿间的依恋关系越安全,这些流动学步儿的适应能力也越强。     

Irrational Beliefs as Predictors of Emotional Adjustment after Divorce

The goal of this study was to analyze the role of irrational beliefs and other mediating variables in emotional adjustment after marital separation. Self-esteem and attachment to the ex-spouse were chosen as indicators of emotional adjustment. For this purpose several mediation centres and associations for separated people took part in the project. The results showed that irrational beliefs, as well as length of conflict during marriage, time since divorce and desire of contact with the former spouse, are good predictors of emotional adjustment. It has been suggested that Rational-Emotive-Behavior Therapy can be used in the treatment of divorced people.     

Parent–Adolescent Attachment and Academic Adjustment: The Mediating Role of Self-Worth

Within the theoretical framework of attachment theory, this study examined associations between adolescents’ attachment relationships with both mother and father and their academic adjustment, and explored the potential mediation role of self-worth in the associations. Participants were 384 Chinese adolescents (49.6% male, average age?=?15.13 years) from public schools in Shanghai, China. They completed self-report measures of mother–adolescent attachment, father–adolescent attachment, general self-worth, academic engagement and school grades. The results indicated that adolescents’ attachments to both parents were associated with higher levels of academic engagement. There was partial support of the mediating role of self-worth, as adolescents who had high levels of parent–adolescent attachment were more likely to have high levels of self-worth, which in turn enhanced their academic engagement and then improved high school grades. The findings highlighted the importance of parental attachment-based intervention strategies to promote and maintain academic adjustment among adolescents.     

Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Examination of Attachment,Separation-Individuation,and College Student Adjustment

This article examined stability and change in late adolescent attachment relations and the interrelationship among attachment, separation-individuation, and college adjustment variables. Two studies are reported. In the first cross-sectional study, freshman and upperclassmen college students completed self-report measures of attachment, separation, and adjustment. In the second study, students completed measures of attachment in their freshman year and 2 years later as juniors. In junior year, students also completed several measures of separation and adjustment to college. The results of both studies suggested stability in attachment to parents, over time, for both men and women. Security of attachment proved to be inversely related to independence from parents in cross-sectional and prospective/longitudinal analyses. Security of attachment to parents was positively and pervasively associated with a variety of concurrent indexes of college student adjustment. Secure attachment assessed in freshman year also was positively associated with academic and emotional adjustment in junior year, although the longitudinal results were not as pervasive as the cross-sectional findings. The results supported the importance of current and past perceptions of attachment for understanding late adolescent development and adjustment.     

Daily hassles,ethnic identity and psychological adjustment among Lebanese‐Canadians

Acculturation, as a process of cultural change, has been related to a number of consequences including psychological distress. While some research has demonstrated how post‐migration stressors influence the adjustment of immigrants, it has been proposed that daily hassles—irritants in daily interactions—such as minor chronic problems with the in‐group and the out‐group have an even greater impact on adjustment than major life events. Furthermore, research has shown that ethnic identification profiles and discrimination are two factors closely associated with adjustment among immigrant populations. This study was, therefore, meant to further investigate the relationships among ethnic identity, discrimination (personal and collective), and adjustment (self‐esteem and depression) through a model proposing daily hassles as a mediator among these factors. There were 100 first‐ and second‐generation Lebanese‐Canadians who participated in the study. They completed a questionnaire measuring ethnic identification to their in‐ and out‐group, discrimination, hassles experienced with their in‐ and out‐group, depression, and self‐esteem. Path analyses revealed the mediating role of daily hassles between identity and discrimination, on the one hand, and indices of depression and self‐esteem, on the other. The results also demonstrated that greater experienced personal discrimination was associated with higher levels of experienced out‐group hassles and more out‐group hassles related to lower levels of adjustment. Processes of identity revealed that a higher level of Lebanese identity was associated with less experienced in‐ and out‐group hassles, which positively related to better adjustment. However, Canadian identity directly and positively related to depression. These results are discussed, first, with respect to their implications for current theorizing regarding the process of acculturation. Daily hassles would indeed now stand as a key mediating factor in the explanation of adjustment among immigrants. Second, the findings are deemed to have practical implications in term of the direction of programmes aimed at alleviating acculturative stress.     

Attachment style,partner communication,and physical well‐being among couples coping with cancer

Attachment styles may influence interpersonal strategies used to cope with stress. We examined links between attachment style, communicative behaviors, and physical well‐being among 166 couples coping with cancer. Results of actor–partner interdependence mediation models indicated that insecure attachment styles were associated with greater self‐report of two different and seemingly contradictory communicative behaviors (disclosure and holding back), which in turn were associated with poorer physical well‐being. These effects were intrapersonal for both patients and spouses, with the exception of anxious attachment and holding back for spouses. They were also interpersonal in that spouse insecure attachment was associated with poorer patient physical well‐being through spouse communication (greater holding back and disclosure). Couple‐based communication interventions to support adjustment should consider attachment style.     

POSTPARTUM BONDING DIFFICULTIES AND ADULT ATTACHMENT STYLES: THE MEDIATING ROLE OF POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION AND CHILDBIRTH‐RELATED PTSD

Despite decades of research demonstrating the role of adult attachment styles and early mother–infant bonding in parenting behaviors and maternal mental health, these constructs have seldom been studied together. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between attachment styles and specific bonding difficulties of mothers. In addition, as postpartum depression and childbirth‐related posttraumatic stress symptoms have been associated with both constructs, we explored their possible mediation effect. One hundred fourteen mothers, 4 to 12 weeks’ postpartum, completed a demographic questionnaire, the Adult Attachment Style Questionnaire (M. Mikulincer, V. Florian, & A. Tolmacz, 1990), the Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire (L.F. Brockington, C. Fraser, & D. Wilson, 2006), the Modified Perinatal Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Questionnaire (J.L. Callahan, S.E. Borja, & M.T. Hynan, 2006), and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (J.L. Cox, G. Chapman, D. Murray, & P. Jones, 1996), using an online survey system. As predicted, insecure attachment styles were associated with bonding difficulties wherein anxious/ambivalent attachment was associated with greater infant‐focused anxiety, mediated by postpartum depression but not childbirth‐related PTSD symptoms. In contrast, greater avoidant attachment style was associated with greater rejection and anger, mediated by childbirth‐related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but not depression symptoms. The current study confirmed the association of different attachment styles with bonding as well as the mediating roles of childbirth‐related PTSD and postpartum depression symptoms. Future psychological interventions may utilize such evidence to target interventions for bonding disorders in accordance with individual differences.     

Getting over you: Contributions of attachment theory for postbreakup emotional adjustment

This study used an attachment theoretical framework to identify factors that contribute to postbreakup emotional adjustment. Individuals who recently experienced a breakup were examined twice over a 1‐month period. Greater desire to utilize an ex‐partner as an attachment figure predicted less emotional adjustment. Higher levels of attachment anxiety were associated with less emotional adjustment immediately after the breakup. People who reflected more about the breakup exhibited less emotional adjustment immediately after the breakup compared to people who reflected less, and also less emotional adjustment over the ensuing month if they also reported more attachment anxiety. The article highlights the importance of normative attachment processes, in addition to attachment orientations and coping strategies, for understanding postbreakup adjustment.     

Insecure Attachment and Subclinical Depression,Anxiety, and Stress: A Three-Dimensional Model of Personality Self-Regulation As a Mediator

Although the effects of insecure attachment on vulnerability, incidence, and developing mental disorders have been confirmed by many studies, the mechanism of this effect is still unknown. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to investigate the mediating and moderating role of the three-dimensional model of personality self-regulation in the relationship between insecure attachment and subclinical depression, anxiety, and stress. Four hundred Iranian students at Shiraz University were recruited and completed the following scales: the Revised Adult Attachment, Depression Anxiety Stress, Integrative Self-Knowledge, Mindful Attention Awareness, Self-Control, and Self-Compassion. Results showed that there was a moderate correlation among all the variables under study in the expected directions. Multiple mediating models analyses indicated that regarding the relationship between insecure attachment and depression, the components of integrative self-knowledge, self-control, and self-compassion functioned as mediators. However, regarding the relationship between insecure attachment and anxiety and stress, the components of integrative self-knowledge, mindfulness, and self-compassion relatively functioned as mediators. Further, our results showed that only mindfulness and self-compassion were identified as moderators in the relationship between insecure attachment and depression. It is concluded that insecure attachment may cause psychological damage due to deficiency in the components of the three-dimensional model of personality self-regulation, and that mindfulness and self-compassion may play a protective role in the relationship between insecure attachment and depression.     

成人依恋与心理理论的关系:认知融合与经验性回避的中介作用

为探究成人依恋、认知融合、经验性回避与心理理论的关系及其作用机制,研究者采用实验法和问卷法对312名成年人进行了测量。研究结果表明：（1）不安全的成人依恋负向预测心理理论;（2）经验性回避在成人依恋与心理理论之间起中介作用;（3）认知融合在成人依恋与心理理论之间不存在中介作用;（4）成人依恋的两种类型（依恋回避、依恋焦虑）呈现出不同的链式中介作用：认知融合与经验性回避在依恋回避与心理理论之间起部分中介作用,而在依恋焦虑与心理理论之间起完全中介作用。研究从心理灵活性的角度考察成人依恋与心理理论的关系及其作用机制,并探究接纳承诺训练在提升社会认知能力上的实践意义。     

Adult Attachment,Self‐Efficacy,Perspective Taking,and Conflict Resolution

Parents (N= 124) completed surveys assessing their adult attachment style, conflict resolution style, social self‐efficacy, and perspective taking. Findings supported hypothesized relationships between secure attachment and mutual forms of conflict resolution. More equivocal support was obtained for hypothesized pairings of specific nonsecure attachment styles and nonmutual conflict styles. Findings suggested mediating effects for social competencies (social self‐efficacy and perspective taking), which accounted for some of the negative association between attachment avoidance and mutual conflict style. Follow‐up analyses identified mediating effects of social competencies on specific combinations of attachment and conflict styles–thus suggesting avenues for counseling interventions.     

Adult attachment styles,early relationships,antenatal attachment,and perceptions of infant temperament: A study of first‐time mothers

We explored the relative contributions of first‐time mothers’romantic attachment styles and early relations with their own mothers to the prediction of infant temperamental difficulty. A mediating role for mother's attachment to the unborn baby was assumed. In a prospective longitudinal study of 115 mothers of healthy babies, a structural model was delineated according to a conception of maternally reported infant temperament as a reflection of basic aspects of the mother's personality and mother‐infant relationships. Mothers’experiences with their own mothers as supportive and nonintrusive differentiated between securely and insecurely attached participants. Security of attachment was found to facilitate antenatal attachment and perceptions of the 4‐month‐old infant as easier. Findings indicate that the effects of the mothers’romantic attachment styles on their perceptions of temperamental difficulty are mediated by their antenatal attachment. Moreover, the pattern of findings obtained suggests a link among mothers’history of relationships, romantic attachment styles, and caregiving characteristics that is congruent with evolutionary theoretical assumptions.     

Associations between insecure attachment and sexual experiences

Associations between insecure attachment and sexual experiences were tested in a sample of 328 college students. Variations in adult attachment previously have been shown to relate to sexual behaviors, with the current study extending earlier work by examining different sexual outcomes and by testing factors that may account for these relations. Avoidant attachment was expected to relate to engagement in casual sex (i.e., a greater number of sexual partners and lower percentage of partners within committed relationships), with less restrictive sexual beliefs mediating the relations. In contrast, anxious attachment was expected to relate to more unwanted but consensual sexual experiences, and to more negative affect about sexual experiences, with low self‐esteem mediating the relations. Results showed some support for the hypotheses. Avoidant attachment was related to the type (but not number) of sexual partners, with sexual beliefs mediating the relations. A greater number of unwanted but consensual sexual experiences related to anxious and avoidant attachment for women and to avoidant attachment for men. Anxiety related to negative affect for women and men, and self‐esteem served as a partial mediator of these relations.