Adult Attachment Dimensions: Differential Effects on Physiological and Subjective Response During the Recollection of Childhood Memories

The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between adult attachment dimensions and emotional response induced by the recall of potentially painful memories from childhood. A convenience sample of 100 women responded to an interview that focused on experiences with their caregivers during...

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Main Author: Pierpaolo Congia
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: PsychOpen GOLD/ Leibniz Institute for Psychology 2020-11-01
Series:Europe's Journal of Psychology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://ejop.psychopen.eu/index.php/ejop/article/view/1892
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author Pierpaolo Congia
author_facet Pierpaolo Congia
author_sort Pierpaolo Congia
collection DOAJ
description The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between adult attachment dimensions and emotional response induced by the recall of potentially painful memories from childhood. A convenience sample of 100 women responded to an interview that focused on experiences with their caregivers during childhood, and a control interview, in counterbalanced order. Skin conductance level (SCL), heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV), as well as subjective distress measures were collected. Results from generalized linear mixed model indicated that individuals high in avoidance showed a pattern of SCL increase from baseline that persisted during rest phases regardless of the topic addressed. Attachment dimensions did not affect HR, neither alone nor interacting with the interviews content, whereas baseline resting vagal tone was the most important factor. No attachment dimensions effects were observed on subjective measures of emotion; the time-varying vagal tone during rest phases did not moderate their relationships. Limited evidence was observed in support of the hypothesis that attachment Avoidance and Anxiety are associated with distinct physiological regulation profiles during the recall of potentially painful childhood memories.
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spelling doaj.art-ff1451652aa04e30b1cee9f691dffee22023-01-02T08:21:57ZengPsychOpen GOLD/ Leibniz Institute for PsychologyEurope's Journal of Psychology1841-04132020-11-0116463965810.5964/ejop.v16i4.1892ejop.v16i4.1892Adult Attachment Dimensions: Differential Effects on Physiological and Subjective Response During the Recollection of Childhood MemoriesPierpaolo Congia0Cognitive Psychotherapy Training School (ATC), Cagliari, ItalyThe aim of this study was to explore the relationship between adult attachment dimensions and emotional response induced by the recall of potentially painful memories from childhood. A convenience sample of 100 women responded to an interview that focused on experiences with their caregivers during childhood, and a control interview, in counterbalanced order. Skin conductance level (SCL), heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV), as well as subjective distress measures were collected. Results from generalized linear mixed model indicated that individuals high in avoidance showed a pattern of SCL increase from baseline that persisted during rest phases regardless of the topic addressed. Attachment dimensions did not affect HR, neither alone nor interacting with the interviews content, whereas baseline resting vagal tone was the most important factor. No attachment dimensions effects were observed on subjective measures of emotion; the time-varying vagal tone during rest phases did not moderate their relationships. Limited evidence was observed in support of the hypothesis that attachment Avoidance and Anxiety are associated with distinct physiological regulation profiles during the recall of potentially painful childhood memories.https://ejop.psychopen.eu/index.php/ejop/article/view/1892attachmentparent–child relationsinterviewpsychophysiologystress and coping
spellingShingle Pierpaolo Congia
Adult Attachment Dimensions: Differential Effects on Physiological and Subjective Response During the Recollection of Childhood Memories
Europe's Journal of Psychology
attachment
parent–child relations
interview
psychophysiology
stress and coping
title Adult Attachment Dimensions: Differential Effects on Physiological and Subjective Response During the Recollection of Childhood Memories
title_full Adult Attachment Dimensions: Differential Effects on Physiological and Subjective Response During the Recollection of Childhood Memories
title_fullStr Adult Attachment Dimensions: Differential Effects on Physiological and Subjective Response During the Recollection of Childhood Memories
title_full_unstemmed Adult Attachment Dimensions: Differential Effects on Physiological and Subjective Response During the Recollection of Childhood Memories
title_short Adult Attachment Dimensions: Differential Effects on Physiological and Subjective Response During the Recollection of Childhood Memories
title_sort adult attachment dimensions differential effects on physiological and subjective response during the recollection of childhood memories
topic attachment
parent–child relations
interview
psychophysiology
stress and coping
url https://ejop.psychopen.eu/index.php/ejop/article/view/1892
work_keys_str_mv AT pierpaolocongia adultattachmentdimensionsdifferentialeffectsonphysiologicalandsubjectiveresponseduringtherecollectionofchildhoodmemories