Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Adult Attachment Style and Cognitive Reactions to Positive Affect: A Test of Mental Categorization and Creative Problem Solving

  • Published:
Motivation and Emotion Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Three studies examined the moderating effect of attachment style on cognitive reactions to positive affect inductions. In Study 1 (N = 110), participants completed attachment style scales, were asked to retrieve a happy or a neutral memory, and, then, performed a categorization task. Study 2 (N = 120) used the same affect induction, while examining creative problem solving in the Remote Associates Test. Study 3 (N = 120) replicated Study 2, while using another affect induction (watching a comedy film) and controlling for trait anxiety scores. Overall, securely attached persons reacted to positive affect with broader categorization and better performance in creative problem-solving tasks. Anxious–ambivalent persons showed an opposite pattern of cognitive reactions to positive affect, and avoidant persons showed no difference in their cognitive reactions to positive and neutral affect inductions. The discussion emphasizes the role that attachment-related strategies of affect regulation may play in episodes of positive affect.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

REFERENCES

  • Ainsworth, M. D. S., Bell, S. M. V., & Stayton, D. J. (1973). Individual differences in the strangesituation behavior of one-year olds. In L. S. Stone, H. T. Smith, & L. B. Murphy (Eds.), The competent infant. New York: Basic Book.

    Google Scholar 

  • Aspinwall, L. G. (1998). Rethinking the role of positive affect in self-regulation. Motivation and Emotion, 22, 1–32.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bartholomew, K., & Horowitz, L. M. (1991). Attachment styles among young adults: A test of a four-category model. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 61, 226–244.

    Google Scholar 

  • Birnbaum, G. E., Orr, I., Mikulincer, M., & Florian, V. (1997). When marriage breaks up-Does attachment style contribute to coping and mental health? Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 14, 643–654.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boucher, J., & Osgood, C. E. (1969). The Pollyanna hypothesis. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 8, 1–8.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bowlby, J. (1969). Attachment and loss: Attachment. New York: Basic Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bowlby, J. (1973). Attachment and loss: Separation, anxiety and anger. New York: Basic Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bowlby, J. (1980). Attachment and loss: Sadness and depression. New York: Basic Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bowlby, J. (1988). A secure base: Clinical applications of attachment theory. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brennan, K. A., Clark, C. L., & Shaver, P. R. (1998). Self report measurement of adult attachment: An integrative overview. In J. A. Simpson & W. S. Rholes (Eds.), Attachment theory and close relationships (pp. 46–76). NY: Guilford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brennan, K., & Shaver, P. R. (1995). Dimensions of adult attachment, affect regulation, and romantic relationship functioning. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 21, 567–583.

    Google Scholar 

  • Collins, N. L., & Read, S. J. (1994). Cognitive representations of attachment: The structure and function of working models. In K. Bartholomew & D. Perlman (Eds.), Attachment processes in adulthood (pp. 53–92). London: Jessica Kingsley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dozier, M., & Kobak, R. R. (1992). Psychophysiology in attachment interviews: Converging evidence for deactivating strategies. Child Development, 63, 1473–1480.

    Google Scholar 

  • Estrada, C., Isen, A. M., & Young, M. J. (1994). Positive affect improves creative problem solving and influences reported source of practice satisfaction in physicians. Motivation and Emotion, 18, 285–299.

    Google Scholar 

  • Estrada, C., Isen, A. M., & Young, M. J. (1997). Positive affect facilitates integration of information and decreases anchoring in reasoning among physicians. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 72, 117–135.

    Google Scholar 

  • Feeney, B. C., & Kirkpatrick, L. A. (1996). Effects of adult attachment and presence of romantic partners on physiological responses to stress. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 70, 255–270.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fraley, R. C., & Shaver, P. R. (1997). Adult attachment and the suppression of unwanted thoughts. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 73, 1080–1091.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fraley, R. C., & Shaver, P. R. (1998). Airport separations: A naturalistic study of adult attachment dynamics in separating couples. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 75, 1198–1212.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fraley, R. C., & Waller, N. G. (1998). Adult attachment patterns: A test of typological model. In J. A. Simpson & W. S. Rholes (Eds.), Attachment theory and close relationships (pp. 77–114). NY: Guilford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fuendeling, J. M. (1998). Affect regulation as a stylistic process within adult attachment. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 15, 291–322.

    Google Scholar 

  • Green-Hennessy, S., & Reis, H. T. (1998). Openness in processing social information among attachment types. Personal Relationships, 5, 449–466.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hazan, C., & Shaver, P. R. (1987). Romantic love conceptualized as an attachment process. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 52, 511–524.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hirt, E. R., Levine, G. M., McDonald, H. E., & Melton, R. J. (1997). The role of mood in quantitative and qualitative aspects of performance: Single or multiple mechanisms? Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 33, 602–629.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hirt, E. R., Melton, R. J., McDonald, H. E., & Harackiewicz, J. M. (1996). Processing goals, task interest, and the mood-performance relationship: A mediational analysis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 71, 245–261.

    Google Scholar 

  • Isen, A. M. (1987). Positive affect, cognitive processes, and social behavior. Advances of Experimental Social Psychology, 20, 203–253.

    Google Scholar 

  • Isen, A. M. (1993). Positive affect and decision making. In M. Lewis & J.M. Haviland (Eds.), Handbook of emotions (pp. 261–277). New York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Isen, A. M., & Daubman, K. A. (1984). The influence of affect on categorization. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 47, 1206–1217.

    Google Scholar 

  • Isen, A. M., Daubman, K. A., & Nowicki, G. P. (1987). Positive affect facilitates creative problem solving. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 52, 1122–1131.

    Google Scholar 

  • Isen, A. M., Johnson, M. M. S., Mertz, E., & Robinson, G. F. (1985). The influence of positive affect on the unusualness of word associations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 48, 1–14.

    Google Scholar 

  • Isen, A. M., Niedenthal, P. M., & Cantor, N. (1992). An influence of positive affect on social categorization. Motivation and Emotion, 16, 65–78.

    Google Scholar 

  • Isen, A. M., Rosenzweig, A. S., & Young, M. J. (1991). The influence of positive affect on clinical problem solving. Medical Decision Making, 11, 221–227.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kotler, T., Buzwell, S., Romeo, Y., & Bowland, J. (1994). Avoidant attachment as a risk factor for health. British Journal of Medical Psychology, 67, 237–245.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martin, L. L., Ward, D. W., Achee, J. W., & Wyer, R. S. Jr. (1993). Mood as input: People have to interpret the motivational implications of their moods. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 64, 317–326.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mednick, M. T., Mednick, S. A., & Mednick, E. V. (1964). Incubation of creative performance and specific associative priming. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 69, 84–88.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mikulincer, M. (1997). Adult attachment style and information processing: Individual differences in curiosity and cognitive closure. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 72, 1217–1230.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mikulincer, M. (1998). Adult attachment style and individual differences in functional versus dysfunctional experiences of anger. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 74, 513–524.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mikulincer, M., & Florian, V. (1995). Appraisal and coping with a real-life stressful situation: The contribution of attachment styles. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 21, 408–416.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mikulincer, M., & Florian, V. (1997). Are emotional and instrumental supportive interactions beneficial in times of stress? The impact of attachment style. Anxiety, Stress, and Coping, 10, 109–127.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mikulincer, M., & Florian, V. (1998). The relationship between adult attachment styles and emotional and cognitive reactions to stressful events. In J. A. Simpson & W. Rholes (Eds.), Attachment theory and close relationships (pp. 143–165). NY: Guilford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mikulincer, M., Florian, V., & Tolmacz, R. (1990). Attachment styles and fear of personal death: A case study of affect regulation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 58, 273–280.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mikulincer, M., Florian, V., & Weller, A. (1993). Attachment strategies, and posttraumatic psychological distress: The impact of the Gulf war in Israel. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 64, 817–826.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mikulincer, M., & Orbach, I. (1995). Attachment styles and repressive defensiveness: The accessibility and architecture of affective memories. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 68, 917–925.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mikulincer, M., Orbach, I., & Iavnieli, D. (1998). Adult attachment style and affect regulation: Strategic variations in subjective self-other similarity. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 75, 436–448.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murray, N., Sujan, H., Hirt, E. R., & Sujan, M. (1990). The influence of mood on categorization: A cognitive flexibility interpretation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 59, 411–425.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nevo, B., & Lewin, A. (1978). The Remote Associates Test-A measurement tool for creative thinking. Megamot, 24, 87–98.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pistole, M. C. (1995). College students' ended love relationships: Attachment style and emotion. Journal of College Student Development, 36, 53–60.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pretty, G. H., & Seligman, C. (1984). Affect and the overjustification effect. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 46, 1241–1253.

    Google Scholar 

  • Priel, B., & Shamai, D. (1995). Attachment style and perceived social support. Personality and Individual Differences, 19, 235–241.

    Google Scholar 

  • Radecki-Bush, C., Farrel, A. D., & Bush, J. P. (1993). Predicting jealous responses: The influence of adult attachment and depression on threat appraisal. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 10, 569–588.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosch, E. (1975). Cognitive representations of semantic categories. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 104, 192–233.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sarason, I. G. (1975). Anxiety and self-preoccupation. In I. G. Sarason & C. D. Spielberger (Eds.), Stress and anxiety (Vol. 2, pp. 27–44). New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schwarz, N., & Bohner, G. (1996). Feelings and their motivational implications: Moods and the action sequence. In P. M. Gollwitzer & J. A. Bargh (Eds.), The psychology of action: Linking cognitions and motivation to behavior (pp. 119–145). New York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shaver, P. R., & Hazan, C. (1993). Adult romantic attachment: Theory and evidence. In D. Perlman & W. Jones (Eds.), Advances in personal relationships (pp. 29–70). London: Jessica Kingsley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Showers, C., & Cantor, N. (1985). Social cognition: A look at motivated strategies. Annual Review of Psychology, 36, 275–305.

    Google Scholar 

  • Simpson, J. A., Rholes, W. S., & Nelligan, J. S. (1992). Support seeking and support giving within couples in an anxiety-provoking situation: The role of attachment styles. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 62, 434–446.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spielberger, C. D., Gorsuch, R. L., & Lushene, R. E. (1970). Manual for the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychological Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Trope, Y., & Neter, E. (1994). Reconciling competing motives in self-evaluation: The role of self-control in feedback seeking. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 66, 646–657.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wegener, D. T., & Petty, R. E. (1994). Mood management across affective states: The hedonic contingency hypothesis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 66, 1034–1048.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel

    Mario Mikulincer

  2. Department of Psychology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel

    Elka Sheffi

Authors
  1. Mario Mikulincer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Elka Sheffi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Mikulincer, M., Sheffi, E. Adult Attachment Style and Cognitive Reactions to Positive Affect: A Test of Mental Categorization and Creative Problem Solving. Motivation and Emotion 24, 149–174 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005606611412

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005606611412

Keywords

Search

Navigation