Social Cognition Seminar - Enhancing attachment security over time: Leveraging close relationships to change working models

Speaker: Dr Madoka Kumashiro, Goldsmiths, University of London

Attachment security has been robustly associated with numerous positive intrapersonal and interpersonal outcomes: Individuals who possess a chronic sense of security are more likely to develop healthy relationships, feel confident, pursue personal goals, and effectively manage challenges, compared to those who are more chronically interpersonally anxious or avoidant. Most research on adult attachment treats attachment security or insecurity as a relatively stable trait based on early interpersonal experiences, overlooking the potential for adult close relationships to redirect established attachment patterns. The current research proposes an innovative model of Attachment Security Enhancing Model (ASEM), whereby close relationships can be leveraged to bolster attachment security among non-clinical sample of adults over time. Specifically, the dual process model involves: (1) the immediate (short-term) process of partners mitigating insecurity when it occurs, and (2) the long-term process of partners creating opportunities to strengthen working models, or clustered beliefs about oneself (model of self) and others (model of other). Preliminary empirical evidence will be presented, along with the challenges of conducting empirical research to modify deeply entrenched working models.

Time: 3pm, 19th January 2017

Venue: Room 311, 26 Bedford Way, WC1H 0AP