LE3 .A278 2010

2010

Holmberg, Diane

Acadia University

Bachelor of Arts

Honours

Psychology

Psychology

The present study examined whether adult attachment styles could predict memory phenomenology in positive and negative relationship memory contexts. Through an online survey, 132 participants completed the Experiences in Close Relationships Inventory - Revised ( ECR- R) to assess attachment styles ( i. e., the tendency to be secure, anxious or avoidant in approach to one’s approach to relationships), and the Memory Experiences Questionnaire ( MEQ) to assess subjective characteristics of memory. As predicted, attachment avoidance was a significant predictor of low Accessibility scores in the positive memory condition. In the negative memory condition, attachment anxiety was a significant predictor of high Sensory Detail and Sharing scores, while avoidance was a significant predictor of low Vividness and Coherence scores. Interactions showed that effects for avoidance were strongest in the absence of anxiety. Findings were consistent with the widely- supported theories of hyperactivation amongst anxious individuals, and deactivation amongst avoidant individuals.

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https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:708