Standoffish perhaps, but successful as well: evidence that avoidant attachment can be beneficial in professional tennis and computer science

Attachment-related avoidance and anxiety have repeatedly been associated with poorer adjustment in various social, emotional, and behavioral domains. We examined 2 domains in which avoidant individuals might be better equipped than their less avoidant peers to succeed and be satisfied--professional singles tennis and computer science. These fields may reward self-reliance, independence, and the ability to work without proximal social support from loved ones. In study 1, we followed 58 professional singles tennis players for 16 months and found that scores on attachment-related avoidance predicted a higher ranking, above and beyond the contributions of training and coping resources. In study 2, we sampled 100 students and found that those who scored higher on avoidance were happier with their choice of computer science as a career than those who scored lower on avoidance. Results are discussed in relation to the possible adaptive functions of certain personality characteristics often viewed as undesirable.     

The avoidance cocoon: Examining the interplay between attachment and caregiving in predicting relationship satisfaction

In the present research, we examined the hypothesis that low avoidance enables the activation of the caregiving system, and therefore, among people low in avoidance, caregiving would affect relationship satisfaction, whereas among people high in avoidance, caregiving would not affect relationship satisfaction. One‐hundred seventy‐nine Israeli adults, currently involved in romantic relationships, participated in Study 1, in which we examined whether attachment avoidance moderated the associations between caregiving and relationship satisfaction. In Study 2, we sought to replicate this finding in a sample of Israeli couples (N = 194). Finally, in Study 3 (N = 44), we examined links between attachment, caregiving, and relationship satisfaction over a period of 1 year among Israeli married couples. Results indicated that caregiving deactivation and/or hyperactivation predicted lower relationship satisfaction, yet only among people low in avoidance or among people whose partners were low in avoidance. Results are discussed in relation to the important interplay between behavioral systems on individual and dyadic levels. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Influence of Employees’ Attachment Styles on Their Life Satisfaction as Mediated by Job Satisfaction and Burnout

The aim of this study was to obtain better insight into the associations between attachment styles and employees’ life satisfaction. This was achieved by examining the mediating roles of burnout and job satisfaction. Three hundred and thirty-nine employees, from a convenience community sample, participated in the current study. Results of the mediation model indicated that the associations between avoidance and life satisfaction were mediated by burnout and job satisfaction. However, the associations between attachment anxiety and life satisfaction were mediated by burnout but not by job satisfaction. Theoretical and practical implications for organizations and for attachment theory at work are discussed.     

Controlled by Love: The Harmful Relational Consequences of Perceived Conditional Positive Regard

Research on conditional positive regard (CPR) has shown that this seemingly benign practice has maladaptive correlates when used by parents. However, there is no research on the correlates of this practice in romantic relationships or on the processes mediating its effects. Building on self‐determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 2000 ), three studies tested the hypothesis that perceived CPR impairs relationship quality, partly because it undermines the fulfillment of the basic psychological needs for autonomy and relatedness. Study 1 (N = 125) examined perceived CPR and relationship quality across four relationship targets: mother, father, romantic partner, and best friend. Study 2, involving romantic partners (N = 142), examined whether needs fulfillment mediated the association between perceived CPR and relationship quality. Study 3, involving romantic dyads (N = 85), also included partner reports on CPR. Across the three studies, CPR was linked with poor relationship quality between relationships, between people, and between dyadic partners. Moreover, results of Study 2 and Study 3 revealed that the inverse association between perceived CPR and relationship quality was mediated by dissatisfaction of autonomy but not relatedness. Despite its seemingly benign nature, CPR is detrimental to relationship quality, partly because it thwarts the basic need for autonomy.     

The Effect of Attachment Diversity on Team Performance and the Moderating Role of Perceived Organizational Support

Attachment personality theory provides an interpersonal and relational perspective of human functioning. The current research examines the role of attachment diversity within the theoretical framework of the categorization-elaboration model (CEM). We hypothesized that teams comprised of diverse attachment orientations would be beneficial to team performance. Specifically, diverse anxiety teams may have members who would be more vigilant to team threats, whereas diverse avoidance teams could comprise individuals who may be more goal-oriented. Also, we examined whether perceived organizational support (POS) moderates the association between attachment diversity and team performance. The study was conducted at a large private communications company. Data were obtained for 44 sales teams (N = 404). Supplementing this data, the company’s administrative systems provided team performance ratings derived from team achievements. Findings indicated that the relationship between anxiety diversity and performance were stronger under lower POS levels than under higher POS levels. Interpersonal avoidance strategies seem to be less productive in avoidance diversity teams under lower levels of POS. However, higher POS levels buffered the negative impact of avoidance diversity on team performance.     

Supervisors’ Autonomy Support as a Predictor of Job Performance Trajectories

Studies have shown that supervisors’ autonomy supportive managerial style predicts static job performance and other positive organisational outcomes (Gagné & Deci, 2005 ). The present study extends these results by investigating the ways in which supervisors’ autonomy support affected job performance trajectories over a period of 5 months in a sample of 68 newly employed sport analysts. Multilevel modeling indicated that performance increases in a decelerated fashion over time. Perceived supervisors’ autonomy support significantly moderated the linear and quadratic performance trajectories. Thus, over time, the performance growth of employees who perceived their supervisors as supportive of their autonomy was steeper and decelerated at a slower rate. The implications are discussed in the light of autonomy support within Self‐Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 2000 ).