Differentiation of Self and Attachment in Adulthood: Relational Correlates of Effortful Control

This study tested relations between differentiation of self, adult attachment, and effortful control in a sample of 225 adults. Results indicated that adult differentiation of self uniquely predicted greater effortful control, after accounting for variance due to attachment security. Greater ability to take I positions in relationships, along with lower emotional reactivity (ER) and attachment anxiety, were unique predictors of effortful control. Significant relationships emerged between dimensions of attachment and differentiation of self, with strongest associations observed between attachment avoidance and emotional cutoff (r = –.78), and attachment anxiety and ER (r = –.60).