Behaviors in separation-reunion situation and attachment styles of young adults

Wakao Yoshinori

doi:10.2132/personality.12.47

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between self-reported attachment styles of young adults and their behaviors with an intimate person in an anxiety provoking situation. I hypothesized that it was a separation-reunion situation in which the partner temporarily became unavailable, but not a situation where communication without restriction was possible, that attachment-relevant behaviors was most apparent, and was predicted by self-reported attachment styles. Participants were 18 intimate pairs, with 9 dating cou-ples and 9 close friends; 13 were male and 23 female, with an average age of 22.0. They first experienced anxi-ety and stress, and communicated freely with their partner in a laboratory, which was called ‘waiting room.’ They then were briefly separated and reunited. Finally, they were asked to complete a few questionnaires including an attachment scale. Behaviors in the laboratory was videotaped and rated later by two judges inde-pendently. Results showed that behaviors during the free communication period was not organized in terms of attachment, and not related to attachment styles. On the other hand, behaviors in separation-reunion situation was judged to be more relevant to attachment, and was predicted by attachment styles. It was suggested that individual differences in attachment of young adults as well as infants, would manifest in behavior with an inti-mate person only in a separation-reunion situation.

Behaviors in separation-reunion situation and attachment styles of young adults

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