State Attachment Variability: Between- and within-Person Level Associations with Trait Attachment and Psychological Problems

Abstract

Research suggests that inter-individual differences in the degree of state attachment variability are related to differences in trait attachment and psychological problems between children. In this study, we tested whether such associations are also relevant at a within-person level, and if so, whether intra-individual fluctuations in the degree of variability were predictive of or predicted by intra-individual fluctuations in trait attachment and psychological problems. Children (N = 152; Mage = 10.41 years, SDage = 0.60 at time 1) were tested three times over a period of one year. At each timepoint, children reported on their expectations of maternal support in different distressing situations. Additionally, we administered measures of trait attachment to children and psychological problems to children and their mothers. We used Random-Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Models to distinguish between-person from within-person associations between these constructs over time. The results revealed that the degree of state attachment variability was mainly relevant to understand differences between children in trait attachment and psychological problems: children who overall showed more state attachment variability were overall less securely attached at a trait-level and reported more psychological problems. Although evidence for within-person associations was less robust, there was some indication that the degree of state attachment variability might be related to the development of trust and psychological problems at a within-person level.

Cumulative family stress and externalizing problems: Secure base script knowledge as a protective factor

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Pathways from trauma to unusual perceptual experiences: Modelling the roles of insecure attachment, negative affect, emotion regulation and dissociation

“…However, among people with psychotic‐like symptoms, dissociation is more strongly associated with fearful and preoccupied attachment styles compared to dismissive attachment (Berry et al, 2008; Pearce et al, 2017; Ponizovsky et al, 2013). A limitation of these previous studies is that they used trait‐based measures of attachment and there is evidence that contextual factors may trigger state‐based fluctuations in attachment (Verhees et al, 2021). Additionally, different types of dissociation (e.g.…”

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The Effect of Attachment Priming on State Attachment Security in Middle Childhood: The Moderating Roles of Trait Attachment and State Attachment Volatility

“…Some literature therefore talks about dispositional attachment (Ein-Dor & Hirschberger, 2016; Shaver et al, 2016). However, we will refer to it as trait attachment to keep in line with similar research on attachment dynamics (Bernaerts et al, 2017; Bohn et al, 2021; Chenglong et al, 2020; Verhees et al, 2021).…”