Citation

Dewitte M, Houwer J, Buysse A, Koster EHW. Br. J. Soc. Psychol. 2008; 47(4): 557-573.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, Wiley Blackwell)

DOI

10.1348/014466607X265148

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

In two experiments, participants made symbolic approach and avoidance movements towards or away from attachment figure- and acquaintance-related cues after being primed with a distressing or a non-distressing context. Results showed that automatic approach responses towards the attachment figure were stronger in a distressing than in a non-distressing context, regardless of whether the source of distress was attachment-relevant or -irrelevant and regardless of one's attachment style. Individual differences in attachment anxiety and avoidance were associated with the predicted patterns of approach–avoidance tendencies: attachment anxiety heightened the tendency to approach the attachment Figure (Experiments 1 and 2), whereas attachment avoidance reduced this tendency (Experiment 2). Findings are discussed as providing first evidence on the role of automatic action tendencies in adult attachment.