Social Psychological Perspectives on Adult Attachment: Theory, Research, and Current Controversies PSCH 593 – CRN 41665 - Graduate Seminar in Social and Personality Psychology Spring 2012 Instructor: R. Chris Fraley Location & Time: Fridays, 2:00 p.m. - 4:50 p.m., Room 608 Psychology Building Overview and Course Objectives Over the last three decades, attachment theory has emerged as one of the leading frameworks for the study of close relationships, personality processes, and social and emotional development. The theory has gained in popularity largely because it addresses a wide range of issues of interest to psychologists, including the evolution and development of intimate relationships; the defensive regulation of thought, feeling, and action; the role of mental representations in interpersonal behavior; and the processes underlying mental health. Moreover, the theory is intellectually compelling because it draws upon data and insights from a range of perspectives, including developmental, social, personality, cybernetic, evolutionary, and psychoanalytic. The objective of this seminar is to review theory and research on adult attachment and to discuss contemporary issues and debates in the field. Course Structure Each week we will read and discuss two to three articles. One to two members of the class will be asked to facilitate the discussion and those members will also be asked to select one or two unique papers that have been published within the last two years. Early in the semester I will spend approximately 30 to 60 minutes providing introductory overviews and lectures. Once you have learned the basics of the theory, I will allow the class to take on more of a discussion-oriented structure. Grading and Assignments Each week you will need to submit a brief written summary of your reactions to that week's readings. You should submit your reactions via e-mail to rcfraley before noon Fridays. Your reactions should focus on insights, criticisms, and questions regarding the readings. Although I encourage you to raise any questions you may have about the readings during class (e.g., "What does the author mean by X?"), I'd prefer that you limit your written responses to questions that are likely to generate discussion (e.g., "What are the implications of Idea X for Y?" and "Doesn't this seem incompatible with Z?") rather than questions that are more in the trivia domain (e.g., Has anyone looked at the relation between attachment style and attitudes towards beach volleyball?). Your reactions will be graded with respect to three factors: (a) whether your reaction was submitted on time, (b) the quality of your writing (i.e., clarity, grammar, coherence), and (c) the quality of your ideas (i.e., do they reflect a careful reading and consideration of the issues? do they have the potential to generate productive discussion?). There will not be an exam or a final paper; your course grade will reflect the quality of your reaction papers and your class participation. After the first few weeks, one or two students will be assigned to guide the discussion for each meeting. Discussion leaders will be asked to spend approximately 10 minutes summarizing the readings to ensure that everyone is on the same page and generating and leading a discussion. Discussion leaders may be asked to read an additional one or two articles on the topic at hand to supplement the discussion. Readings Optional text for those seeking a summary of the area: Mikulincer, M., & Shaver, P. R. (2007). Attachment in adulthood: Structure, dynamics, and change. New York: Guilford Press. Please note that the reading list will be updated online as the semester progresses. In the meantime, some of these entries will serve as placeholders from a previous section of this course I taught a few years ago. I will make the readings available each week via e-mail rather than creating and releasing a packet at the start of the semester. Background and History Week 1 Introduction and Overview Attachment theory as a "grand theory" in social, personality, and developmental psychology Week 2 Bowlby's ethological attachment theory: Fundamental principles and concepts Required Ainsworth, M. D. S., Blehar, M. C., Waters, E. & Wall, S. (1978). Patterns of attachment. A psychological study of the strange situation. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum. [Chapter 1]. Bowlby, J. (1969/1982). Attachment and loss: Vol. 1. Attachment. New York: Basic Books. [chapters 1 - 3] Supplemental Bretherton, I. (1992). The origins of attachment theory: John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth. Developmental Psychology, 28, 759-775. Week 3 Attachment in infancy and early childhood Required Colin, V. L. (1996). Human attachment. New York: McGraw Hill. [Chapter 3: Research Methods for Infancy] Weinfield, N. S., Sroufe, L. A., Egeland, B., Carlson, E. A. (2008). Individual differences in infant-caregiver attachment: Conceptual and empirical aspects of security. In J. Cassidy & P. R. Shaver (Eds.), Handbook of Attachment: Theory, Research, and Clinical Applications (2nd Ed.) (pp. 78-101). New York: Guilford. The Theory of Adult Attachment Week 4 Theoretical foundations Required Hazan, C., & Shaver, P. R. (1987). Romantic love conceptualized as an attachment process. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 52, 511-524. Hazan, C., and Shaver, P.R. (1994). Attachment as an organizational framework for research on close relationships. Psychological Inquiry, 5, 1-22. Supplemental Shaver, P. R., & Hazan, C. (1988). A biased overview of the study of love. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 5, 473-501. Shaver, P. R., Hazan, C., & Bradshaw, D. (1988). Love as attachment: The integration of three behavioral systems. In R. J. Sternberg & M. Barnes (Eds.), The psychology of love (pp. 68-99). New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. Simpson, J. A., & Rholes, W. S. (1998). Attachment in adulthood. In J. A. Simpson & W. S. Rholes (Eds.), Attachment theory and close relationships (pp. 3-21). New York: Guilford. [pages 3 - 12] Week 5 Models of individual differences in attachment organization: Alternative conceptualizations and assessment methods Required Bartholomew, K., & Howrowitz, L. (1991). Attachment styles among young adults: A test of the four-category model. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 61, 226-245. Mikulincer, M., & Shaver, P. R. (2007). Attachment in adulthood: Structure, dynamics, and change. New York: Guilford Press. [Chapter 4: Measurement of attachment-related constructs in adulthood.] Individual Discussion/Presentation Noam: Fraley, R. C., Hudson, N. W., Heffernan, M. E., & Segal, N. (in press). Are adult attachment styles categorical or dimensional? A taxometric analysis of general and relationship-specific attachment orientations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Jing: Gillath, O., Hart, J., Noftle, E. E., & Stockdale, G. D. (2009). Development and validation of a state adult attachment measure (SAAM). Journal of Research in Personality, 43, 362-373. David: Roisman, G.I., Holland, A., Fortuna, K., Fraley, R.C., Clausell, E., & Clarke, A. (2007). The Adult Attachment Interview and self-reports of attachment style: An empirical rapprochement. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92, 678-697. Chris: Cameron, J. J., Finnegan, H., & Morry, M. M. (2012). Orthogonal dreams in an oblique world: A meta-analysis of the association between attachment anxiety and avoidance. Journal of Research in Personality, 46(5), 472-476. Basic Processes and Empirical Advances Week 6 Internal working models: Structure and process Required Collins, N. L., Guichard, A. C., Ford, M. B., & Feeney, B. C. (2004). Working models of attachment: New developments and emerging themes. In W. S. Rholes & J. A. Simpson (Eds.), Adult Attachment: Theory, Research, and Clinical Implications (pp. 196-239). New York: Guilford. Baldwin, M. W., Keelan, J. P. R., Fehr, B., Enns, V., & Koh- Rangarajoo, E. (1996). Social cognitive conceptualization of attachment working models: Availability and accessibility effects. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 71, 94-104. Klohnen, E. C., Weller, J. A., Luo, S., & Choe, M. (2005). Organization and predictive power of general and relationship-specific attachment models: One for all, and all for one? Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 31, 1665-1682. Individual Discussion/Presentation Mark Ein-Dor, T., Mikulincer, M., & Shaver, P. R. (2011). Effective Reaction to Danger Attachment Insecurities Predict Behavioral Reactions to an Experimentally Induced Threat Above and Beyond General Personality Traits. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 2(5), 467-473. Alice Mikulincer, M., Gillath, O., & Shaver, P. R. (2002). Activation of the attachment system in adulthood: Threat-related primes increase the accessibility of mental representations of attachment figures. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 83, 881-895. Week 7 The developmental antecedents of attachment styles Required Donnellan, M. B., Burt, S. A., Levendosky, A. & Klump, K. (2008). Genes, personality, and attachment in adults: A multivariate behavioral genetic analysis. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 34, 3-16. Fraley, R. C., Roisman, G. I., Booth-LaForce, C., Owen, M. T., & Holland, A. S. (2013). Interpersonal and genetic origins of adult attachment styles: A longitudinal study from infancy to early adulthood. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 104, 8817-838. Supplemental Lauren Dinero, R. E., Conger, R. D., Shaver, P. R., Widaman, K. F., & Larsen-Rife, D. (2011). Influence of family of origin and adult romantic partners on romantic attachment security. Couple and Family Psychology: Research and Practice, 1, 16-30. Joo Hyun Chopik, W. J., Moors, A. C., & Edelstein, R. S. (2014). Maternal nurturance predicts decreases in attachment avoidance in emerging adulthood. Journal of Research in Personality, 53, 47-53. Bertha Simpson, J. A., Collins, W. A., Tran, S., & Haydon, K. C. (2007). Attachment and the experience and expression of emotions in adult romantic relationships: A developmental perspective. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92, 355-367. Colin Narayan, A. J., Englund, M. M., Carlson, E. A., & Egeland, B. (2014). Adolescent conflict as a developmental process in the prospective pathway from exposure to interparental violence to dating violence. Journal of abnormal child psychology, 42(2), 239-250. Week 8 Stability and Change in Attachment Styles Required Baldwin, M. W., & Fehr, B. (1995). On the instability of attachment style ratings. Personal Relationships, 2, 247-261. Davila, J., & Sargent, E. (2003). The meaning of life (events) predicts change in attachment security. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 29, 1383-1395. Individual Discussion/Presentation David Van Ryzin, M. J., Carlson, E. A., & Sroufe, L. A. (2011). Attachment discontinuity in a high-risk sample. Attachment & human development, 13(4), 381-401. Jing Konrath, S. H., Chopik, W. J., Hsing, C. K., & O’Brien, E. (2014). Changes in Adult Attachment Styles in American College Students Over Time A Meta-Analysis. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 18, 326-348. Noam Brown, G. L., Mangelsdorf, S. C., & Neff, C. (2012). Father involvement, paternal sensitivity, and father- child attachment security in the first 3 years. Journal of Family Psychology, 26(3), 421-430. Supplemental Davila, J., Burge, D., & Hammen, C. (1997). Why does attachment style change? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 73, 826-838. Davila, J., & Cobb, R. (2003). Predicting change in self-reported and interviewer-assessed adult attachment: Tests of the individual difference and life stress models of attachment change. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 29, 859-870. Fraley, R. C., Vicary, A. M., Brumbaugh, C. C., & Roisman, G. I. (2011). Patterns of stability in adult attachment: An empirical test of two models of continuity and change. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 101, 974-992. Fraley, R. C., & Brumbaugh, C. C. (2004). A dynamical systems approach to understanding stability and change in attachment security. In W. S. Rholes & J. A. Simpson (Eds.), Adult attachment : Theory, research, and clinical implications (pp. 86-132). New York: Guilford Press. Week 9 Attachment Dynamics and Romantic Attraction Required Holmes, B. M., & Johnson, K. R. (2009). Adult attachment and romantic partner preference: A review. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 26, 33-52. Eastwick, P. W. & Finkel, E. J. (2008). The attachment system in fledgling relationships: An activating role for attachment anxiety. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 95, 628-647. Individual Reports Mark Birnie, C., McClure, M.J., Lydon, J. E., & Holmberg, D. (2009). Attachment avoidance and commitment aversion: A script for relationship failure. Personal Relationships, 16, 79-97. April McClure, M. J., & Lydon, J. E. (2014). Anxiety doesn’t become you: How attachment anxiety compromises relational opportunities. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 106, 89-111. Alice Brumbaugh, C. C., & Fraley, R. C. (2010). Adult attachment and dating strategies: How do insecure people attract mates? Personal Relationships, 17, 599-614. Overall, N.C., & Sibley, C.G. (2008). Attachment and attraction toward romantic partners versus relevant alternatives within daily interactions. Personality and Individual Differences, 44, 1126-1137. Week 10 Attachment Processes in Established Relationships Required Simpson, J. A., Rholes, W. S., & Nelligan, J. S. (1992). Support seeking and support giving within couples in an anxiety-provoking situation: The role of attachment styles. Journal of personality and social psychology, 62(3), 434. Feeney, B. C., Collins, N. L., Van Vleet, M., & Tomlinson, J. M. (2013). Motivations for providing a secure base: Links with attachment orientation and secure base support behavior. Attachment & human development, 15(3), 261-280. Individual Presentations Noam Kane, H. S., McCall, C., Collins, N. L., & Blascovich, J. (2012). Mere presence is not enough: Responsive support in a virtual world. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 48(1), 37-44. Bertha Hadden, B. W., Smith, C. V., & Webster, G. D. (2014). Relationship duration moderates associations between attachment and relationship quality: Meta-analytic support for the Temporal Adult Romantic Attachment Model. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 18, 42-58. Week 11 Attachment and Sex Birnbaum, G. E., Mikulincer, M., & Gillath, O. (2012). When does responsiveness pique sexual interest? Attachment and sexual desire in initial acquaintanceships. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 38, 946-958. Davis, D., Shaver, P. R., & Vernon, M. L. (2004). Attachment style and subjective motivations for sex. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 30, 1076-1090. Individual Presentations David Lento, R., Ryu, E., & Rosen, K.S. (2014). Why do they hook up? Attachment style and motives of college students. Personal Relationships, 21, 468-481. Mark Birnbaum, G. E., Mikulincer, M., & Gillath, O. (2011). In and Out of a Daydream Attachment Orientations, Daily Couple Interactions, and Sexual Fantasies. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 37(10), 1398-1410. Alice DeWall, C. N., Lambert, N. M., Slotter, E. B., Pond Jr, R. S., Deckman, T., Finkel, E. J., ... & Fincham, F. D. (2011). So far away from one's partner, yet so close to romantic alternatives: Avoidant attachment, interest in alternatives, and infidelity. Journal of personality and social psychology, 101(6), 1302. Week 12 Evolution and Attachment: Normative Processes and Individual Differences Required Kirkpatrick, L. A. (1998). Evolution, pair-bonding, and reproductive strategies: A reconceptualization of adult attachment. In J. A. Simpson & W. S. Rholes (Eds.), Attachment theory and close relationships (pp. 353-393). New York: Guilford. Fraley, R. C., Brumbaugh, C. C., & Marks, M. J. (2005). The evolution and function of adult attachment: A comparative and phylogenetic analysis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 89, 731-746. Individual Presentations Mark Eastwick, P. W. & Finkel, E. J. (2012). The evolutionary armistice: Attachment bonds moderate the function of ovulatory cycle adaptations. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 38, 174-184. Noam Ein-Dor, T., Mikulincer, M., Doron, G., Shaver, P. R. (2010). The attachment paradox: How can so many of us (the insecure ones) have no adaptive advantages? Perspectives on Psychological Science, 5, 123-141. Jing Del Giudice, M. (2009). Sex, attachment, and the development of reproductive strategies. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 32, 1-21 Week 13 Attachment, Psychotherapy, and Personaltiy Disorders Required Mikulincer, M., Shaver, P. R., & Berant, E. (2013). An attachment perspective on therapeutic processes and outcomes. Journal of personality, 81(6), 606-616. Levy, K. N., Meehan, K. B., Kelly, K. M., Reynoso, J. S., Weber, M., Clarkin, J. F., & Kernberg, O. F. (2006). Change in attachment patterns and reflective function in a randomized control trial of transference-focused psychotherapy for borderline personality disorder. Journal of consulting and clinical psychology, 74(6), 1027. Fossati, A., Krueger, R. F., Markon, K. E., Borroni, S., Maffei, C., & Somma, A. (2015). The DSM-5 Alternative Model of Personality Disorders From the Perspective of Adult Attachment: A Study in Community-Dwelling Adults. The Journal of nervous and mental disease, 203(4), 252-258. Individual Presentations Alice Wei, M., Liao, K. Y. H., Ku, T. Y., & Shaffer, P. A. (2011). Attachment, self-compassion, empathy, and subjective well-being among college students and community adults. Journal of personality, 79(1), 191-221. April Alexander, K. E., & Siegel, H. I. (2013). Perceived hunger mediates the relationship between attachment anxiety and emotional eating. Eating behaviors, 14(3), 374-377. Week 14 Attachment and the Workplace Required Harms, P. D. (2011). Adult attachment styles in the workplace. Human Resource Management Review, 21, 285-296. Dahling, J. J., & Librizzi, U. A. (2014). Integrating the Theory of Work Adjustment and Attachment Theory to Predict Job Turnover Intentions. Journal of Career Development, 0894845314545169. Individual Presentations Colin Little, L. M., Nelson, D. L., Wallace, J. C., & Johnson, P. D. (2011). Integrating attachment style, vigor at work, and extra-role performance. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 32(3), 464-484. Bertha Richards, D. A., & Schat, A. C. (2011). Attachment at (not to) work: applying attachment theory to explain individual behavior in organizations. Journal of Applied Psychology, 96(1), 169-182.