Idiographic assessment of attachment relationships: Construction and validation of scales for use in narrative psychotherapy
In this study the focus was on the development and validation of scales that can be used in an attachment-based narrative form of psychotherapy/counseling. One hundred and six participants completed an online survey, in which they were asked to select one significant troublesome relationship (past o...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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University of Groningen Press
2023-12-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Personality Psychology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://ijpp.rug.nl/article/view/41057 |
| _version_ | 1797392465201725440 |
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| author | Rolf Van Geel Tilly Houtmans Mathijs Van der Zande |
| author_facet | Rolf Van Geel Tilly Houtmans Mathijs Van der Zande |
| author_sort | Rolf Van Geel |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In this study the focus was on the development and validation of scales that can be used in an attachment-based narrative form of psychotherapy/counseling. One hundred and six participants completed an online survey, in which they were asked to select one significant troublesome relationship (past or present), to describe the nature of this relationship in a couple of sentences and to characterize the relationship by means of the list of 49 attachment items. By employing exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis (N = 106), a six-factor model emerged covering four classical attachment prototypes: (I) security; (II) anxiety (preoccupation with relationships, fear of rejection); (III) dismissive avoidance (i.e., defensive separation/denial of attachment need; and (IV) fearful avoidance (avoidance/alienation, threat). In two validation studies, the interpersonal and affective meaning of these scales were examined by using instruments that accentuate agentic and communal interpersonal orientations in human contact. In a subsequent qualitative study, we used a cluster-based classification into attachment groups for the exhaustive screening of the content of (a selection of) 40 texts of 40 persons. This hermeneutic approach disclosed characteristic themes for each of the secure, preoccupied, dismissive-avoidant and fearful-avoidant prototypes which are discussed in detail. In narrative psychotherapy a thematic overview according to the attachment typology may be helpful in fine-tuning the therapeutic process, in that it may increase a client’s awareness of attachment issues and associated (dysfunctional) emotional reactions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T23:47:36Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-66c5029f19da4ae5a29168094b4b9040 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2451-9243 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T23:47:36Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | University of Groningen Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Personality Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-66c5029f19da4ae5a29168094b4b90402023-12-13T15:00:38ZengUniversity of Groningen PressInternational Journal of Personality Psychology2451-92432023-12-01910813610.21827/ijpp.9.4105730722Idiographic assessment of attachment relationships: Construction and validation of scales for use in narrative psychotherapyRolf Van Geel0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3446-3383Tilly Houtmans1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3189-4727Mathijs Van der Zande2https://orcid.org/0009-0000-0328-9653Netherlands Open UniversityNetherlands Open UniversityNetherlands Open UniversityIn this study the focus was on the development and validation of scales that can be used in an attachment-based narrative form of psychotherapy/counseling. One hundred and six participants completed an online survey, in which they were asked to select one significant troublesome relationship (past or present), to describe the nature of this relationship in a couple of sentences and to characterize the relationship by means of the list of 49 attachment items. By employing exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis (N = 106), a six-factor model emerged covering four classical attachment prototypes: (I) security; (II) anxiety (preoccupation with relationships, fear of rejection); (III) dismissive avoidance (i.e., defensive separation/denial of attachment need; and (IV) fearful avoidance (avoidance/alienation, threat). In two validation studies, the interpersonal and affective meaning of these scales were examined by using instruments that accentuate agentic and communal interpersonal orientations in human contact. In a subsequent qualitative study, we used a cluster-based classification into attachment groups for the exhaustive screening of the content of (a selection of) 40 texts of 40 persons. This hermeneutic approach disclosed characteristic themes for each of the secure, preoccupied, dismissive-avoidant and fearful-avoidant prototypes which are discussed in detail. In narrative psychotherapy a thematic overview according to the attachment typology may be helpful in fine-tuning the therapeutic process, in that it may increase a client’s awareness of attachment issues and associated (dysfunctional) emotional reactions.https://ijpp.rug.nl/article/view/41057adult attachment stylesself-narrativepsychotherapyself-confrontation methodinterpersonal circumplex |
| spellingShingle | Rolf Van Geel Tilly Houtmans Mathijs Van der Zande Idiographic assessment of attachment relationships: Construction and validation of scales for use in narrative psychotherapy International Journal of Personality Psychology adult attachment styles self-narrative psychotherapy self-confrontation method interpersonal circumplex |
| title | Idiographic assessment of attachment relationships: Construction and validation of scales for use in narrative psychotherapy |
| title_full | Idiographic assessment of attachment relationships: Construction and validation of scales for use in narrative psychotherapy |
| title_fullStr | Idiographic assessment of attachment relationships: Construction and validation of scales for use in narrative psychotherapy |
| title_full_unstemmed | Idiographic assessment of attachment relationships: Construction and validation of scales for use in narrative psychotherapy |
| title_short | Idiographic assessment of attachment relationships: Construction and validation of scales for use in narrative psychotherapy |
| title_sort | idiographic assessment of attachment relationships construction and validation of scales for use in narrative psychotherapy |
| topic | adult attachment styles self-narrative psychotherapy self-confrontation method interpersonal circumplex |
| url | https://ijpp.rug.nl/article/view/41057 |
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