LE3 .A278 2014

2014

Price, Lisa

Acadia University

Master of Science

Masters

Clinical Psychology

Psychology

The current study explored the relationship between attachment style, focused attention, and how people process emotional support. Participants were asked to read a supportive message, pretending it was from their romantic partner. Half of the participants were encouraged to focus on the supportive content, while half read the message naturally. Participants’ eye movements were monitored as they read in order to assess what elements of the message they were focusing on. After, participants completed measures that assessed relationship and emotional well-being. Results showed that more anxiously attached participants spent longer reading the message in the focused attention condition as compared to those lower on anxious attachment. Participants higher on attachment avoidance experienced decreased relationship well-being in the focused attention condition, compared to those lower on avoidance. Findings suggest that attachment style and focused attention play a role in the perception of support, which, in turn, can predict well-being.

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https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:317