Children with attachment disorder (AD) have an ongoing risk of mental health challenges and an exacerbated resistance to traditional treatments. The inability to trust and inadequate relationship skills present a substantial challenge for supervising adults in families, child welfare, juvenile justice, public schools, and other community settings. This study examined the assessment of AD in children between ages 6 and 18 utilizing two standardized instruments, the Randolph Attachment Disorder Questionnaire and the Behavioral and Emotional Rating Scale. A new framework developed by the author, Biopsychosocial Attachment Types (BAT), for conceptualizing childhood attachment concerns, was explored as a foundation for assessment and as a guide for an incremental corrective experiential approach for altering the child’s internal working model of attachment. Biophilia and Attachment theories were explanatory for the BAT. This dissertation explores three research questions. First, can scores on the BERS be used to predict attachment disorder as measured by the RADQ? Second, can the three categories or six subcategories of the BAT be measured using selected BERS items plus additional author-developed items? Finally, if selected BERS items plus additional author-developed items are found to measure the BAT categories, are the resulting measures reliable and valid? The Foster Family Survey questionnaire completed by 285 foster parents of children 6 to 18 years in foster care for over three months in British Columbia, Canada, provided the data. Reported results of these analyses included an 18-item BAT measure and a 7-item subscale which predicted RADQ scores using selected items from the BERS with an additional pool of author-developed questions. The regression equation for the RADQ score predicted from the BERS Strength Quotient yielded an adjusted r2 of .268 while the best-fit model predicted from the BAT yielded a cumulative adjusted r2 of .515. The resulting BAT measure achieved an alpha score of .91 and factor analysis distinguished the subcategories. All of these results supported the value of continued research in this urgently needed area of investigation.

Experiences of childhood physical and sexual abuse among men have not been sufficiently studied because many men are not forthcoming about experiences of abuse. This abuse is linked to aggressive behaviors, difficulty developing and maintaining close relationships, and various psychological disorders. Current research has not fully examined relationships between childhood abuse, adult attachment, and levels of relationship satisfaction among men. The purpose of this nonexperimental quantitative study was to evaluate the relationship between adult attachment as measured by the Relationship Scales Questionnaire and relationship satisfaction as measured by the Couples Satisfaction Index among men abused during childhood. Bowlby's theory of attachment served as the theoretical foundation for this study, contending that an individual's ability to connect with and seek safety in others influences relationships later in life. Participants (n = 79) were recruited from MaleSurvivor Organization, which serves victims of abuse. Multiple regression and correlation analysis were used to measure adult attachment, childhood abuse severity, and relationship satisfaction. Results showed no significant relationship between abuse severity and adult attachment, no significant differences in relationship satisfaction based on attachment style, and no moderation between abuse severity and adult attachment and relationship satisfaction. Social change implications highlight the importance of providing appropriate treatment and prevention measures, which allow for awareness of abuse histories and its contributions to attachment behaviors and overall satisfaction in relationships.

There is a demonstrated association between children's negative behaviors, placement disruption, and foster parents' attachment style in early childhood; however, there is an absence of research examining this relation among foster children in middle childhood. Researchers have found that in early childhood, children respond more favorably to foster parents with a secure attachment style, while greater placement disruption is associated with foster parents having an insecure attachment style. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between foster children's negative behaviors, placement disruption in foster children during middle childhood, and foster parents' attachment style. Bowlby's and Ainsworth's attachment theory was the theoretical framework of this quantitative study. Thirty-six foster parent-child dyads from 2 foster care organizations in Texas formed the convenience sample. Participants completed the Behavior Assessment System for Children, the Parent Rating Scale (predictor variable), the Revised Adult Attachment Scale (moderator variable), and a postbaseline telephone call (criterion variable). The results of a binary logistic regression analysis indicated that children's negative behavior was not significantly related to placement disruption. A moderated regression analysis was not conducted to test if foster parents' attachment style had a moderating effect between children's negative behavior and placement disruption due to the low number of respondents in the insecure style. These findings provide insight into the influence of foster parents' attachment style to children's behaviors. Social change implications could promote attachment theory in the development of training programs for foster parents which may help increase placement stability.

The current research examined the proposition that individuals who were securely attached had a fundamentally different reaction and experience of chronic pain to the experience of individuals with an insecure attachment style. A biopsychosocial model of chronic pain was created that included the variables of attachment style, pain, depression, anxiety, somatisation, quality of life, function, disability, neuroticism, age and gender. Three cross-sectional quantitative studies and one qualitative study were conducted. Participants were (a) patients from a multidisciplinary pain centre in a major public hospital, and (b) members of the general population with chronic pain who were recruited from both urban and rural settings, across various community support groups. The total sample was 470. Instruments for the quantitative studies included the Revised Adult Attachment Scale (Collins & Read, 1990), the McGill Pain Questionnaire (Melzack, 1975), the Pain Patient Profile (Tollinson & Langley, 1992), the Quality of Life Inventory (Frisch, 1994), the International Association for the Study of Pain Assessment Protocol (International Association for the Study of Pain, 1986), the Migraine Disability Scale (Stewart, Lipton, Kolodner, Liebermann, & Sawyer, 1999), and the short form of the Eysenck Neuroticism Scale (Eysenck, Eysenck, & Barret, 1985). The clinical and non-clinical participants with a diagnosis of chronic pain syndrome were partitioned as securely or insecurely attached. In the clinical sample, the proportion of securely attached individuals was less than one quarter of the group, while in the non-clinical sample the proportion of individuals in the securely attached group was 50%. For Study 1, (200 individuals from the clinical sample), the groups were partitioned using the classification criteria of Collins and Read (1990). Securely attached participants = 27%, insecurely attached 73%. An analysis of effect of attachment style on overall pain showed that the Securely Attached group reported less overall pain than the Insecurely Attached group. For Study 2, (using the total clinical sample), the sample comprised 27.3% securely attached and 72.7% insecurely attached participants. The Securely Attached group reported less overall Pain, less Negative Affect and Somatisation than the Insecurely Attached group, and higher levels of Quality of Life. Somatisation provided a significant unique contribution of variance to predicting overall Pain, providing some support for the biopsychosocial model, and Negative Affect (Depression and Anxiety combined) made a significant unique contribution to Quality of Life, explaining 26% of the variance. Gender was unrelated to any variable. For Study 3, the sample consisted of rural and urban participants, and the rural group was significantly older than the urban group. No other differences were found. The groups were combined to form the non-clinical group. The group was evenly divided (50%) between securely and insecurely attached groups. Gender was unrelated to any variable. For the non-clinical group, using the variables investigated in Study 2, there was no difference on overall pain scores, but negative affect and somatisation were higher and quality of life lower in the insecure group than in the secure group. No differences were found on Pain Intensity but Pain Pattern differed between the groups. Three new variables were added to the model - Neuroticism, Function and Disability. Disability and Function were significantly different between the attachment style groups. Age was significantly related to lower pain scores, less loss of function, less disability and higher quality of life. Pain scores were most related to somatisation, with age and quality of life contributing significant variance. Neuroticism added further to this explanation. Negative Affect made the most contribution to the variance explained in quality of life, and neuroticism and function made no significant contribution. Neuroticism and Attachment Style contributed significant amounts of variance to Function. To compare the Secure and Insecure Attachment groups in the Clinical and Non-clinical samples, a matched groups study, N = 190, was conducted. Clinical and non-clinical participants were matched for Age, Gender and Attachment Style. No differences were reported on overall pain between the attachment groups, but differences existed on negative affect, somatisation and quality of life. For sample type, the clinical group reported higher overall pain scores, less negative affect and less somatisation, but no differences were found on quality of life, compared to the non-clinical group. Study 4 was a qualitative study that used structured interviews of 24 clinical and non-clinical participants matched for age, gender, attachment style and etiology. The securely attached group reported having extensive, positive social support, high community involvement and appropriate reliance on medical and allied health care and medications. The insecurely attached group reported more problems with physical pain and psychological distress, less social support, less function and more perceived disability. The insecurely attached group reported more use of medical, allied and alternative health resources. Older securely attached individuals reported the lowest overall pain scores and the highest quality of life. These results support the hypotheses that a secure attachment style contributes to more positive outcomes for individuals with chronic pain syndrome and were consistent with a model of chronic pain that includes biological, psychological and social variables.

Infidelity violates a western norm that a range of interpersonal behaviours should remain exclusive in committed romantic relationships. Once exposed, the aftermath can be detrimental to all concerned. However, despite a cultural majority endorsing this belief and apprised of the potential consequences of its violations, infidelity or extradyadic relationships are widespread. Furthermore, individual differences in beliefs about what constitutes infidelity blur the boundaries of acceptable behaviour, making the concept of unfaithfulness difficult to fully describe. This variation in attitudes and behaviour, along with the consistent media attention infidelity attracts affirms the enigmatic nature of the behaviour. In response, an aim of the study was to clarify the construct of infidelity among a contemporary Australian sample. This was achieved in two ways. Firstly, the study examined beliefs and behaviours associated with unfaithfulness using qualitative (focus group) and largely quantitative (survey) data. Secondly, the study involved investigation of the association between infidelity and several individual, relationship and environmental variables. Differences in relationships and environmental conditions can be conceptualised within the theoretical framework of the investment model, while adult attachment theory and a lovestyles typology offer theoretical underpinnings to the study of individual differences. Specifically, the aim of this stage of the study was to examine how adult attachment styles (anxious, avoidant), lovestyles (eros, ludus, storge, mania, pragma, agape), relationship variables (satisfaction, investment, commitment), and an environmental variable (perceived alternatives) predicted infidelity. The sample comprised 243 women and 69 men between the ages of 18 and 60 years (M = 31.3 years, SD = 11.9) who were currently in a romantic relationship of at least one year or who had recently been in such a relationship. Participants completed measures pertaining to attachment, lovestyles and various aspects of relationship quality in addition to several measures of extradyadic behaviour. The study found that infidelity, as defined by respondents, was engaged in by 20% of individuals in their current relationships and by 42% of individuals in their previous relationships. Regarding the nature of infidelity, the current findings indicated that various sexual and emotional behaviours carried out with someone other than one's primary partner were considered unfaithful by the vast majority, while fantasy and flirting behaviours were generally seen as acceptable. It was noteworthy, however, that a substantial minority also viewed fantasy as unfaithful, underlining the inherent complexity of the construct. The hypotheses concerning the variables predicting infidelity were partially supported. Results suggested that individuals most likely to engage in extradyadic behaviour were those with an avoidant attachment style or a Ludus lovestyle, more perceived alternatives to their relationship, and most unexpectedly, higher levels of investment in their relationship. Conversely, those least likely to engage in these behaviours were those with an Eros Lovestyle and greater levels of commitment to their relationship. The study confirmed the prevalence of infidelity and emphasised the differential attitudes, behaviours and motivations associated with it. These differences are discussed in relation to the theories presented and an argument is made for research on infidelity to take a broader focus, one that includes the combined aspects of individuals, their relationships and the environment. Implications of these findings for individuals and couples and for the professionals who work with them are discussed, along with suggestions for future research.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Delaware, 2006. / Principal faculty advisor: Mary Dozier, Dept. of Psychology. Includes bibliographical references.

Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy (EFT; Johnson, 2004) addresses relationship distress by facilitating the development of new patterns of interaction between partners. These new patterns of interaction are based on partners' vulnerable acknowledgement and expression of attachment needs. Partners' engagement in these new patterns of interaction is thought to improve their relationship-specific attachment bond. Although previous studies have shown EFT to result in excellent relationship satisfaction outcomes (Johnson, Hunsley, Greenberg & Schindler, 1999), research had yet clearly to demonstrate if and how EFT facilitates increases in partners' relationship-specific models attachment security over the course of therapy. To address this research gap, the current study employed Hierarchical Linear Modelling (HLM; Singer & Willet, 2003) to investigate the pattern of change in couples' (n=32) self-reported relationship satisfaction and relationship-specific attachment over the course of EFT. Couples reported significant linear increases in their relationship satisfaction and significant linear decreases in their relationship-specific attachment avoidance over the course of therapy. Couples who completed the blamer-softening therapeutic change event (n=16) demonstrated significant linear decreases in their relationship-specific attachment anxiety after completing this event. Decreases in relationship-specific attachment anxiety predicted increases in couples' relationship satisfaction over the course of therapy. Couples also demonstrated significant increases in the security of their pre-post-therapy relationship-specific attachment behaviour, as coded Secure Base Scoring System (Crowell, Treboux, Gao, Fyffe, Pan & Waters, 2002). The current study also used HLM (Singer & Willet, 2003) to examine how the completion of blamer-softening impacted softened couples' relationship-specific attachment anxiety, and whether the completion of blamer-softening had a similar impact on softened couples' relationship-specific attachment avoidance and relationship satisfaction. Softened couples reported an immediate increase in relationship satisfaction and immediate decrease relationship-specific attachment avoidance at the softening session. Further, softened couples' post-softening decreases in relationship-specific attachment anxiety were initially preceded by an increase at the softening session. These results provided an understanding of how EFT leads to increases in couples' relationship-specific attachment security. These results provide support for the use of attachment theory in the treatment of relationship distress, and also provide an illustration of how attachment can shift over the course of a therapeutic intervention.

Despite decades of interest in the organizational and managerial factors that influence an individual s attachment to the organization, very little is known about the personal characteristics that may influence an individual s interpersonal relations at work and attachment to the organization. In the context of a changing workplace, in which greater importance is being placed on worker interpersonal skills and organizational commitment, individual differences in adult attachment styles represent a potentially important determinant of intrapersonal and interpersonal criteria as well as organizational commitment. The purpose of this research was to empirically validate a work-related measure of adult attachment and to examine the criterion-related validity of this measure for work outcomes and organizational commitment.

The purpose of the present study is to investigate the relationships of attachment styles and conflict behaviors among male and female university students. Three hundred and twelve university students from various departments and grades of Middle East Technical University in Ankara participated in the study. Turkish version of Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised (ECR-R, Sel&ccedil / uk, G&uuml / naydin, S&uuml / mer and Uysal, 2005), and Conflict Behaviors Questionnaire (Tezer, 1986) was applied to students to collect data. The results of cluster analysis employed on the scores of ECR-R yielded four clusters corresponding to four attachment styles (fearful, dismissing, preoccupied, and secure). A two-way ANOVA (2 gender X 4 Attachment Style) was applied to each of the five conflict behaviors. Results yielded a significant main effect for gender in accommodating behavior and a significant main effect for attachment styles in compromising behavior. In accommodating behavior, independent samples t-test was used to find out any significant difference between males and females and the results showed that the males were more inclined to use accommodating behavior than females. No significant difference was found in any of the other conflict behaviors as a function of attachment styles between males and females.

Between the years of 1991 and 1995, two different chimpanzee nursery rearing strategies were employed by caregivers and research staff at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center. One of these strategies included, in addition to the basic care provided by both nurseries, an additional 4 hours of human contact for 5 days each week. This human contact was provided by caregivers instructed in the behavior of chimpanzee mothers toward their offspring and instructed to emulate that behavior as much as possible. Various measures of cognitive and motor development were taken during the first year of the nursery-reared chimpanzees' lives; additionally, a modified version of the Strange Situation Test, used to measure attachment, was used to assess the chimpanzees' attachment style to their primary human caregiver. Based on these measures, chimpanzees reared in the standard care nursery (without the additional human contact) were significantly more likely to exhibit disorganized attachment styles towards their human caregiver; additionally, the standard care chimpanzees displayed less advanced motor and cognitive development. The responsive care chimpanzees (reared with the additional human contact) developed cognitively and in terms of motor function at a faster rate than the standard care chimpanzees; they also exhibited less coping skills. After one year of rearing in these two nurseries, all the chimpanzees were reared in conspecific social groups and the differential nurseries were terminated. In 2011-2012, 22 out of 49 of the original chimpanzee subjects were reassessed in an attempt to determine of long term effects of these differential rearing styles could still be detected. Chimpanzees that were identified as exhibiting disorganized attachment at one year of age exhibited significantly higher rates of abnormal behavior as compared to those that did not exhibit a disorganized attachment style at one year of age. Chimpanzees reared in both nurseries exhibited significantly higher rates of abnormal behavior, solicitation of, and attendance to humans as compared to chimpanzees that were mother-reared. Additionally, chimpanzees reared in either nursery were rated by survey respondents as exhibiting significantly higher human orientation and significantly lower subjective well-being as compared to mother-reared chimpanzees. Finally, trends found in the data consistently indicated that chimpanzees reared with more extensive human contact (responsive care) exhibited higher rates of abnormal behavior, solicitation of, and attendance toward humans as compared to standard care chimpanzees. Trends also indicated consistently that responsive care subjects were scored higher on human orientation and lower on subjective well-being by survey respondents. Sign tests were conducted to explore these differences and consistent support was found for these trends as significant. Further research should be conducted to explore welfare-related issues as related to differential nursery rearing strategies for chimpanzees.