Attachment to objects as compensation for close others' perceived unreliability

• DOI: 10.1016/j.jesp.2012.02.007
• Publication Date: 2012-02-17T17:20:14Z
• Authors: Lucas A. Keefer; Mark J. Landau; Zachary K. Rothsc...; Daniel Sullivan
• Keywords: 05 social sciences; 0501 psychology and cognitive sciences

article Attachment theory posits that close interpersonal relationships provide people with psychological security across the lifespan. Research shows that when people perceive that close others are unreliable, they may seek alternative, non-social sources of security (e.g., deities). Building on this work, the authors hypothesized that attachment to objects compensates for threatened attachment security when close others are unreliable. Partic- ipants primed with close others', but not strangers', unreliability reported increased attachment to belongings (Study 1), and this effect was mediated by feelings of attachment anxiety (concern over close others' availabili- ty),butnotattachmentavoidance (avoiding emotionaldependence; Study2),suggesting thatobjectattachment compensates for the perception that close others are unreliable rather than consistently rejecting. In Study 3, when a valued belonging was removed, participants primed with uncertainty about their relationships showed increased separation anxiety and motivation to reunite with the belonging, regardless of the belonging's perceived importance for facilitating relationships.