Access Type

Open Access Dissertation

Date of Award

January 2023

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Stephanie S. Spielmann

Abstract

Attachment Theory describes the processes involved in seeking support and care from close others, alongside the consequences of seeking that support. Early experiences with caregivers are thought to leave a lasting impact on an individual’s interpersonal expectations throughout life. Children learn whether the self and others fulfill safety and security needs based on how responsive caregivers are to their needs, and they form working models based on these experiences. Working models are thus cognitive representations of how instrumental the self and others are as means to safety and security goals. Based on this conceptualization, working models can be thought of as goal systems. Goal Systems Theory proposes that representations of goals are associated with representations of means to achieving those goals. Applying the principles of Goal Systems Theory to explain attachment phenomena can help explain the formation of attachment orientations, the characteristic behaviors of a given attachment orientation, and the ways in which attachment orientations change. To test this explanation of attachment phenomena, a series of two studies were conducted. Study 1 attempted to develop a novel reaction time task to measure the instrumentality of the self and others to attachment goals, alongside introducing a self-report measure of the instrumentality of the self and others to attachment goals. The use of the reaction time measure was not supported. However, significant correlations between explicit ratings of instrumentality and attachment orientation dimensions were found. Perceived instrumentality of the self was significantly and negatively associated with attachment anxiety, while perceived instrumentality of others was significantly and negatively associated with attachment avoidance. Study 2 attempted to determine whether the proposed reaction time measure from Study 1 and the explicit instrumentality measure were sensitive to state changes in attachment using a rejection recall manipulation. There was again no support for using the reaction time measure, and the experimental manipulation failed to induce state-based attachment changes. The significant associations between instrumentality ratings and attachment orientation from Study 1 were replicated. These findings provide initial support for the idea that attachment orientation can be understood using the principles of Goal Systems Theory, though further research is needed.

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