It has only been within the past two decades that a new etiological model of sex offending has emerged that embraces attachment theory in order to provide a more comprehensive understating of how early attachment disruptions may contribute to sexually aggressive behavior. Although there is much theoretical support for the insecure attachment-sex offending paradigm, very little work has been done in the area of empirical validation. Furthermore, the majority of the research that has been conducted in this area focuses on adult offenders and primarily relies on self-report measures of attachment. Therefore, this study examined patterns of attachment in a sample of juvenile sex offenders utilizing a projective instrument, The Adult Attachment Projective Picture System (AAP). This new measure assesses the unconscious aspects of one’s representational model of attachment, such as defenses and underlying expectations concerning relationships. In addition to examining the implicit facet of the attachment construct, this study also explored individuals’ conscious perceptions of attachment needs and experiences by means of a self-report measure. Twenty-five male adolescent sex offenders participated in this study. All subjects were administered the AAP and the Inventory of Parental and Peer Attachment. A brief interview was also conducted in order to gather more detailed descriptive information concerning the adolescents’ family relationships and history of sexual offenses. Results from this study indicated that 100% of the adolescents were classified as insecure on the AAP. The majority of subjects were judged to be dismissing (52%), followed closely by the unresolved attachment status (44%). These findings were discussed in terms of the disorganized attachment-sex offending model and in regards to the attachment concept of “failed mourning.” Qualitative data from the subjects’ interviews and AAP stories were used to provide further support for these theories. The divergent objective-projective test scores that emerged from this study were discussed in terms of their utility and the ways in which they complement each other. Overall, results from this study suggested that insecure attachment may play an important role in sexually aggressive behavior and that attachment-based intervention models may be useful when working with this population. / text

published_or_final_version / Clinical Psychology / Doctoral / Doctor of Psychology

There has been growing research attention on the topic of child anxiety applying the theoretical framework of Attachment Theory, and the results have been encouraging so far with consistent findings on the positive association between insecure attachment and child anxiety. Child anxiety has also been associated with a diminished sense of control with extensive empirical evidences. Nevertheless, despite the rich empirical support on the associations between insecure attachment and child anxiety, and between diminished sense of control and child anxiety, the potential pathways of anxiety transmission remain largely unclear. In their discussion on the development of child anxiety, Chopita and Barlow (1998) proposed a conceptual link between attachment security and sense of control, even though it has not been followed up with empirical studies. Since available empirical evidences have validated the role of attachment security and sense of control in the development of child anxiety, it will be conceptually meaningful to investigate the potential link between attachment security and sense of control, and their respective and interactive roles in the development of child anxiety. The current study also aspires to improve understanding on the relationships between parental anxiety, parent’s and child’s sense of control, and child anxiety within the context of children undergoing elective surgeries. Children of 151 parents were about to receive elective surgeries participated in this study. Among these parents, 59 of them have children reached age 6 or above and all these children also participated in the current study. Information from 144 parents (95.36%) and 51 children (86.44%) was used for subsequent analyses. Information from 7 parents (4.64%) and 8 children (13.56%) was excluded from further analyses as they filled in less than 30% of the questionnaire items. Findings from present study showed children with insecure attachment and/or high external LOC experienced increased anxiety in preoperative period. The findings are consistent with existing literature. Children with insecure attachment were also found to espouse a higher level of external LOC. Besides, regression analyses showed that attachment security moderated the relationships between child’s external LOC and anxiety. Results also support the notion that secure attachment could be a protective factor against child anxiety development. Moreover, mediation analyses indicated child’s LOC mediated the relationship between parental and child anxiety, thereby supporting the mediation model by Chopita and Barlow. From a theoretical standpoint, findings from current study provided initial support on the linkage between attachment security and sense of control. Child’s external LOC as a potential pathway for intergenerational transmission of anxiety was also supported. The findings also bear significant clinical implications. Specifically, early screening and identification of children with insecure attachment and external LOC would allow more effective allocation of resources targeting at anxiety management in preoperative setting. Besides, taking into consideration the impact of parental anxiety, intervention for child anxiety including components for parental anxiety management should be emphasized. / published_or_final_version / Clinical Psychology / Doctoral / Doctor of Psychology

This study first investigated the association between individuals' chronic regulatory styles and their attachment models in adult close relationships, and then looked at how individuals' chronic regulatory styles interact with their attachment models to influence relationship maintenance strategies (RMS) such as accommodating one's partner's transgressions and making personal sacrifices for the relationship. One hundred twenty-one dating-students completed the computerized Selves Questionnaire (Higgins et al., 1997) assessing ideal and ought discrepancies and their chronic accessibility (promotion and prevention focus strength), and then answered questions addressing attachment, accommodation and willingness to sacrifice. Results revealed that ought discrepancies were associated with avoidant attachment for high prevention focus strength individuals, whereas ideal discrepancies were associated with anxious attachment for low promotion focus strength individuals. Furthermore, prevention focus strength interacted with avoidant attachment, such that individuals with a strong prevention focus engaged in RMS to the extent that they were not avoidantly attached.

Over the past few years, attachment theory has taken on increased significance in academic and professional discourse, particularly in the field of child welfare. While this appears to be a relatively new area of interest in social work, the history of attachment theory dates back over five decades. This thesis aims to identify some of the reasons behind the resurgence of attachment theory, in particular, in child welfare practice. This renewed interest in attachment theory is tied to the current social climate and context for social work practice. This context, it is argued, contributes to the tendency for attachment theory to become a tool of social control. The thesis concludes by exploring how attachment theory might be used instead as a means to empower families in relationship-based social work.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among several demographic and emotional/relational variables, and physical abuse victimization in conjugal relations. Participants were eighty-two individuals, involving 41 heterosexual couples in permanent relationships, who were being seen in marital therapy for discordant relationships. This was a cross-sectional sample, with participants selected from four community-based couple and family therapy treatment facilities. Couple participants completed a questionnaire package which measured their standing on a number of socio-demographic (age, income, duration of marriage, employment, education), emotional/relationship (attachment, differentiation, self esteem, marital satisfaction, global distress, problem solving communication), and violence (aggression, physical and non-physical abuse) variables. The emotional variables selected for this study drew on principles from both attachment and Bowen family systems theory. The design of this study differentiated victims of physical violence from non-victims of violence and included multiple measures of abuse. / The findings revealed significant gender correlations in terms of level of aggression in relationships. For females, level of global distress and problem solving communication were positively associated with higher levels of marital aggression. An association between poor differentiation and marital aggression was identified for females, while self esteem only approached significance. For males, a significant correlation was identified between level of aggression and the dismissing attachment style. For males the anxious attachment style was negatively correlated with being a victim of physical violence, with self-differentiation and with having a dismissive attachment style. / The central findings were identified through the use of logistic regression analysis. Attachment style was found to be the more powerful predictor for both females and males in predicting victimization of physical violence. Separate gender analysis revealed evidence that women's anxious attachment style is a significant predictor of physical violence victimization. For males, the dismissing style was less powerful a predictor of male victimization, however the combined female-anxious, male-dismissing attachment combination was found to be highly predictive of relationship violence. Logistic regression has provided evidence for the combination of female-anxious and male-dismissing attachment pattern with poor problem solving and communication skill, within the context of a longer relationship, as significant predictors of relationship violence for the whole sample. These three variables, anxious-dismissing attachment style, poor problem solving communication and longer duration of marriage taken together have provided a predictor model or couple profile for conjugal violence in a sample of discordant couples. / Results of the final couple analysis have contributed to an emerging hypothesis, with the identification of a particular "toxic" gender defined couple attachment pattern, that can predispose a couple for relationship violence. Results have identified that anxious females coupled with dismissing males significantly increased the odds of relationship violence. Research findings were discussed in terms of clinical applications and implications for theory and future research.

This exploratory study was designed to identify a range of variables distinguishing long-term unattached (LTU) from long-term committed (LTC) adults between the ages of 30 and 50. Specifically, it attempted to identify explanations for, and consequences of, long-term unattachment. / LTU subjects selected were those who had not been in a committed, intimate relationship for eight or more years; LTC subjects selected were those who had been in a marital, or equivalent, relationship for eight or more years. / The study was done in two parts. The preliminary study was qualitative and consisted of interviews of 14 subjects--seven LTUs and seven LTCs. LTU and LTC subjects were closely matched on demographic and socioeconomic variables. Emerging themes were added to the range of ideas from the review of literature. A questionnaire was developed from the comprehensive list of ideas. / The final study was quantitative; 77 subjects were administered the questionnaire designed for the study, as well as the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI). LTUs' responses to the questionnaire and scores on the MCMI were compared with those of LTC subjects. All variables were subjected to discriminant function analysis, and univariate analysis. / The results showed that: (a) LTUs came from families characterized by significant separations and losses, distant relationships with parents, and little communication within the family; (b) LTUs felt significantly more alienated from others as children and adults than LTCs; (c) LTUs were significantly higher than LTCs on MCMI scales schizoid, avoidant, passive-aggressive, schizotypal, and borderline, i.e., scales of personalities characterized by problems with intimate, committed relationships; (d) LTUs were not significantly more influenced than LTCs by sociocultural changes such as the human potential movement, the women's liberation movement, and the emphasis on romance in our culture; and (e) LTUs suffered significantly more than LTCs from despair and lack of meaning in their lives, and lacked satisfying ways of meeting others with whom they would like to be involved. Implications, limitations of the study, and suggestions for future research are proffered.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--University of Toronto, 2005.

Thesis (M.S.W.)--Smith College School for Social Work, Northampton, Mass., 2007 / Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment for the degree of Master of Social Work. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 44-46).

Thesis DPsych (Counselling Psychology) -- Swinburne University of Technology, 2006. / Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the Professional Doctorate in Psychology (Counselling Psychology), Swinburne University of Technology, 2006. Includes bibliographical references (p. 139-150).