Attachment working models and the sense of trust: An exploration of interaction goals and affect regulation.

Abstract

Five studies examined the association between adult attachment style and the sense of trust in close relationships. Study 1 focused on the accessibility of trust-related memories. Studies 2-5 focused on trust-related goals and coping strategies, while using different data collection techniques (openended probes, diary methodology, lexical decision task). Findings showed that secure persons felt more trust toward partners, showed higher accessibility of positive trust-related memories, reported more positive trust episodes over a 3-week period, and adopted more constructive strategies in coping with the violation of trust than insecure persons. In addition, whereas intimacy attainment was the main trust-related goal for all the attachment groups, security attainment was an additional goal of anxious-ambivalent persons, and control attainment was an additional goal of avoidant persons. Findings are discussed in terms of attachment working models.

Cites (5)

1. Attachment styles among young adults: A test of a four-category model.
   Bartholomew, Kim, Horowitz, Leonard M. · 1991 · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
2. Security in Infancy, Childhood, and Adulthood: A Move to the Level of Representation
   Main, Mary, Kaplan, Nancy, Cassidy, Jude · 1985 · Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development
3. Adult attachment, working models, and relationship quality in dating couples.
   Collins, Nancy L., Read, Stephen J. · 1990 · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
4. Trust in close relationships.
   Rempel, John K., Holmes, John G., Zanna, Mark P. · 1985 · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
5. A triangular theory of love.
   Sternberg, Robert J. · 1986 · Psychological Review

Show all 5 references

Cited by (29)

1. Adult romantic attachment: Theoretical developments, emerging controversies, and unanswered questions
   Fraley, R. Chris, Shaver, Phillip R. · 2000 · Review of General Psychology
2. The Attachment Behavioral System In Adulthood: Activation, Psychodynamics, And Interpersonal Processes
   Mikulincer, Mario, Shaver, Phillip R. · 2003 · Advances in Experimental Social Psychology
3. Interdependence, Interaction, and Relationships
   Rusbult, Caryl E., Van Lange, Paul A. M. · 2003 · Annual Review of Psychology
4. Trust, conflict, and cooperation: A meta-analysis.
   Balliet, Daniel, Van Lange, Paul A. M. · 2013 · Psychological Bulletin
5. Attachment and trust in artificial intelligence
   Gillath, Omri, Ai, Ting, Branicky, Michael S., Keshmiri, Shawn, Davison, Robert B., Spaulding, Ryan · 2021 · Computers in Human Behavior

See all 553