Skip to main content
Disciplines
Automotive Business IT + Informatics Construction + Real Estate Electrical Engineering + Electronics Energy + Sustainability Insurance + Risk Finance + Banking Management + Leadership Marketing + Sales Mechanical Engineering + Materials
Events
DE
EN
Books
Journals
Topic Page
Marketing
Start single access now
Access for companies
EXTENDED SEARCH
Log in
Top
Journal of Happiness Studies
Published in: Journal of Happiness Studies 5/2014

01-10-2014 | Research Paper

Do Attachment Styles Affect the Presence and Search for Meaning in Life?

Authors: E. Bodner, Y. S. Bergman, S. Cohen-Fridel

Published in: Journal of Happiness Studies | Issue 5/2014

Log in

Activate our intelligent search to find suitable subject content or patents.

search-config
loading …

Abstract

The current work examines the connection between attachment theory and meaning in life (MIL) across adulthood, by inspecting attachment style differences on two dimensions of MIL: presence of meaning (PML) and search for meaning (SML). MIL and attachment measures were collected from 992 participants of three age-groups, young adults (21–30), established adults (31–49), and older adults (50–65). Multivariate analyses demonstrated that older adults scored higher on PML, while younger adults reported more SML. In general, securely attached individuals demonstrated more PML and less SML than participants with insecure attachment styles, and individuals with a fearful attachment style displayed more SML than other attachment styles. Age interacted with attachment, as dismissive young adults displayed less SML, and gender differences were revealed in PML among established adults with regard to the preoccupied and fearful attachment styles. Finally, a three-way interaction of attachment × age × gender was found for PML, as in the established adults, both preoccupied men and fearful women reported a decline in PML, while older women with secure attachment reported higher levels of PML. While in accordance with the developing literature in the field of positive psychology, the current findings shed light on the manner by which the connections between attachment styles, age and gender are associated with the presence and the search for MIL.
previous article Trusting Only Whom You Know, Knowing Only Whom You Trust: The Joint Impact of Social Capital and Trust on Happiness in CEE Countries
next article The Hedonic Procedural Effect of Traditional Medicines

Dont have a licence yet? Then find out more about our products and how to get one now:

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik"

Online-Abonnement

Mit Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" erhalten Sie Zugriff auf:

  • über 102.000 Bücher
  • über 537 Zeitschriften

aus folgenden Fachgebieten:

  • Automobil + Motoren
  • Bauwesen + Immobilien
  • Business IT + Informatik
  • Elektrotechnik + Elektronik
  • Energie + Nachhaltigkeit
  • Finance + Banking
  • Management + Führung
  • Marketing + Vertrieb
  • Maschinenbau + Werkstoffe
  • Versicherung + Risiko

Jetzt Wissensvorsprung sichern!

inform now

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"

Online-Abonnement

Mit Springer Professional "Wirtschaft" erhalten Sie Zugriff auf:

  • über 67.000 Bücher
  • über 340 Zeitschriften

aus folgenden Fachgebieten:

  • Bauwesen + Immobilien
  • Business IT + Informatik
  • Finance + Banking
  • Management + Führung
  • Marketing + Vertrieb
  • Versicherung + Risiko




Jetzt Wissensvorsprung sichern!

inform now
Literature
Antonovsky, A. (1987). Unravelling the mystery of health: How people manage stress and stay well. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Arnett, J. J. (2000). Emerging adulthood: A theory of development from the late teens through the twenties. American Psychologist, 55(5), 469–480.
Baiocco, R., Crea, G., Fizzotti, E., Gurrieri, G., Laghi, F., & Paola, R. (2009). Meaning in life and attachment to parents/peers among Italian high school students. International Forum for Logotherapy, 32(2), 65–72.
Baird, B. M., Lucas, R. E., & Donnellan, M. B. (2010). Life satisfaction across the lifespan: Findings from two nationally representative panel studies. Social Indicators Research, 99(2), 183–203.
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(2), 226–244.
Battista, J., & Almond, R. (1973). The development of meaning in life. Psychiatry, 36(4), 409–427.
Beinstein-Miller, J. (2001). Attachment models and memory for conversation. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 18(3), 404–422.
Bowlby, J. (1969). Attachment and loss: Volume 1—Attachment. Kent, UK: Pimlico.
Bowlby, J. (1973). Attachment and loss: Volume 2—Separation: Anxiety and anger. USA: Basic Books.
Bowlby, J. (1980). Attachment and loss: Volume 3—Loss: Sadness and depression. USA: Basic Books.
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). New York: Guilford.
Bretherton, I. (1985). Attachment theory: Retrospect and prospect. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 50(1–2), 3–35.
Bretherton, I., & Munholland, K. A. (2008). Internal working models in attachment relationships: Elaborating a central construct in attachment theory. In J. Cassidy & P. R. Shaver (Eds.), Handbook of attachment: Theory, research, and clinical applications (2nd ed., pp. 102–127). New York: Guilford.
Brown, W., Consedine, N., & Magai, C. (2005). Altruism relates to health in an ethnically diverse sample of older adults. The Journals of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences, 60(3), 143–152.
Cacioppo, J. T., & Patrick, B. (2008). Loneliness: Human nature and the need for social connection. New York, NY: Norton.
Carnelley, K. B., & Rowe, A. C. (2010). Priming a sense of security: What goes through people’s minds? Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 27(2), 253–261.
Carstensen, L. L., Isaacowitz, D. M., & Charles, S. T. (1999). Taking time seriously: A theory of socioemotional selectivity. American Psychologist, 54(3), 165–181.
Carstensen, L. L., Pasupathi, M., Mayr, U., & Nesselroade, J. R. (2000). Emotional experience in everyday life across the adult life span. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 79(4), 644–655.
Carstensen, L. L., Turan, B., Scheibe, S., Ram, N., Ersner-Hersfield, H., Samanez-Larkin, G. R., et al. (2011). Emotional experience improves with age: Evidence based on over 10 years of experience. Psychology and Aging, 26(1), 21–33.
Case, T. I., & Williams, K. D. (2004). Ostracism: A metaphor for death. In J. Greenberg, S. L. Koole, & T. Pyszczynski (Eds.), Handbook of experimental existential psychology (pp. 336–351). New York, NY: Guilford.
Charles, S. T., Reynolds, C. A., & Gatz, M. (2001). Age-related differences and change in positive and negative affect over 23 years. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 80(1), 136–151.
Cicirelli, V. G. (2010). Attachment relationships in old age. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 27(2), 191–199.
Collins, N. L., & Feeney, B. C. (2000). A safe haven: An attachment theory perspective on support seeking and caregiving in intimate relationships. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 78(6), 1053–1073.
Consedine, N. S., & Magai, C. (2003). Attachment and emotion experience in later life: The view from emotions theory. Attachment and Human Development, 5(2), 165–187.
Consedine, N. S., & Magai, C. (2006). Emotional development in adulthood: A developmental functionalist review and critique. In C. Hoare (Ed.), Handbook of adult development and learning (pp. 123–148). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Crumbaugh, J. C., & Maholick, L. T. (1964). An experimental study in existentialism: The psychometric approach to Frankl’s concept of noogenic neurosis. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 20(2), 200–207.
Cyranowski, J. M., Bookwala, J., Feske, U., Houck, P., Piknois, P., Koselnik, B., et al. (2002). Adult attachment profiles, interpersonal difficulties, and response to interpersonal psychotherapy in women with recurrent major depression. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 21(2), 191–217.
Dieperink, M., Leskela, J., Thuras, P., & Engdahl, B. (2001). Attachment style classification and posttraumatic stress disorder in former prisoners of war. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 71(3), 374–378.
Dyson, J., Cobbs, M., & Forman, D. (1997). The meaning of spirituality: A literature review. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 26(6), 1183–1188.
Emmons, R. A. (2003). Personal goals, life meaning, and virtue: Wellsprings of a positive life. In C. L. M. Keyes & J. Haidt (Eds.), Flourishing: Positive psychology and the life well-lived (pp. 105–128). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Erikson, E. (1968). Identity: Youth and crisis. New York: Norton.
Feeney, J. A. (2002). Attachment, marital interaction, and relationship satisfaction: A diary study. Personal Relationships, 9(1), 39–55.
Frankl, V. E. (1959). Man’s search for meaning. Boston, MA: Beacon Press.
Golsworthy, R., & Coyle, A. (1999). Spiritual beliefs and the search for meaning among older adults following partner loss. Mortality, 4(1), 21–40.
Guerrero, L. K. (1996). Attachment-style differences in intimacy and involvement: A test of the four-category model. Communication Monographs, 63(4), 269–292.
Harkins, E. B. (1978). Effects of empty nest transition on self-report of psychological and physical well-being. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 40(3), 549–556.
Hazan, C., & Shaver, P. R. (1994). Attachment as an organizational framework for research on close relationships. Psychological Inquiry, 5(1), 1–22.
Hicks, J. A., & King, L. A. (2009). Positive mood and social relatedness as information about meaning in life. Journal of Positive Psychology, 4(6), 471–482.
Hicks, J. A., Schlegel, R. J., & King, L. A. (2010). Social threats, happiness, and the dynamics of meaning in life judgments. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 36(10), 1305–1317.
Holtzworth-Munroe, A., Stuart, G. L., & Hutchinson, G. (1997). Violent versus nonviolent Husbands: Differences in attachment patterns, dependency, and jealousy. Journal of Family Psychology, 11(3), 314–331.
Kachadourian, L. K., Fincham, F., & Davila, J. (2004). The tendency to forgive in dating and married couples: The role of attachment and relationship satisfaction. Personal Relationships, 11(3), 373–393.
Kashdan, T., & Steger, M. F. (2007). Curiosity and pathways to well-being and meaning in life: Traits, states, and everyday behaviors. Motivation and Emotion, 31(3), 159–173.
King, L. A., Hicks, J. A., Krull, J. L., & Del Gasio, A. K. (2006). Positive affect and the experience of meaning in life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 90(1), 179–196.
Kobak, R. R., Cole, H. E., Ferenz-Gillies, R., Fleming, W. S., & Gamble, W. (1993). Attachment and emotion regulation during mother-teen problem solving: A control theory analysis. Child Development, 64(1), 231–245.
Kobak, R. R., & Sceery, A. (1988). Attachment in late adolescence: Working models, affect regulation, and representations of self and others. Child Development, 59(1), 135–146.
Krause, N. (2004). Stressors arising in highly valued roles, meaning in life, and the physical health status of older adults. Journals of Gerontology Series B, Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 59(5), S287–S297.
Krause, N. (2007). Longitudinal study of social support and meaning in life. Psychology and Aging, 22(3), 456–469.
Laan, A. J., Marcel, A. L. M., & Vingerhoets, J. J. M. (2012). Individual differences in adult crying: The role of attachment styles. Social Behavior and Personality: An International Journal, 40(3), 453–471.
Lambert, N. M., Stillman, T. F., Baumeister, R. F., Fincham, F. D., Hicks, J. A., & Graham, S. M. (2010). Family as a salient source of meaning in young adulthood. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 5(5), 367–376.
Lavy, S., & Littman-Ovadia, H. (2011). All you need is love? Strengths mediate the negative associations between attachment orientations and life satisfaction. Personality and Individual Differences, 50(7), 1050–1055.
Magai, C. (2008). Attachment in middle and later life. In J. Cassidy & P. R. Shaver (Eds.), Handbook of attachment: Theory, research, and clinical applications (2nd ed., pp. 532–551). New York: Guilford.
Mallinckrodt, B., Gantt, D. L., & Coble, H. M. (1995). Attachment patterns in the psychotherapy relationship: Development of the client attachment to therapist scale. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 42(3), 307–317.
Marcia, J. E. (1966). Development and validation of ego-identity status. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 3(5), 551–558.
Marris, P. (1996). Attachment in private and public life. New York: Routledge.
Maslow, A. H. (1968). Toward a psychology of being. New York: Van Nostrand.
McWilliams, L. A., & Bailey, S. J. (2010). Associations between adult attachment ratings and health conditions: Evidence from the national comorbidity survey replication. Health Psychology, 29(4), 446–453.
Meier, A., & Edwards, H. (1974). Purpose-in-life test: Age and sex differences. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 30(3), 384–386.
Merz, E. M., & Consedine, N. S. (2012). Ethnic group moderates the association between attachment and well-being in later life. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 18(4), 404–415.
Merz, E. M., Consedine, N. S., Schulze, H. J., & Schuengel, C. (2009). Wellbeing of adult children and ageing parents: Associations with intergenerational support and relationship quality. Ageing and Society, 29(5), 783–802.
Mikulincer, M., Florian, V., & Hirschberger, G. (2003a). The existential function of close relationships: Introducing death into the science of love. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 7(1), 20–40.
Mikulincer, M., Gillath, O., Halevy, V., Avihou, N., Avidan, S., & Eshkoli, N. (2001). Attachment theory and reactions to others’ needs: Evidence that activation of the sense of attachment security promotes empathetic response. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 81(6), 1205–1224.
Mikulincer, M., Gillath, O., Sapir-Lavid, Y., Yaakobi, E., Arias, K., Tal-Aloni, L., et al. (2003b). Attachment theory and concern for others’ welfare: Evidence that activation of the sense of secure base promotes endorsement of self-transcendence values. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 25(4), 299–312.
Mikulincer, M., & Shaver, P. R. (2005). Mental representations of attachment security: Theoretical foundation for a positive social psychology. In M. W. Baldwon (Ed.), Interpersonal cognition (pp. 233–266). New York: Guilford.
Mikulincer, M., & Shaver, P. R. (2007). Attachment in adulthood. New York: Guilford.
Mikulincer, M., & Shaver, P. R. (2009). An attachment and behavioral systems perspective on social support. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 26(1), 7–19.
Mikulincer, M., Shaver, P. R., Gillath, O., & Nitzberg, R. A. (2005). Attachment caregiving and altruism: Boosting attachment security increases compassion and helping. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 89(5), 817–839.
Mikulincer, M., Shaver, P. R., & Pereg, D. (2003c). Attachment theory and affect regulation: The dynamics, development, and cognitive consequences of attachment-related strategies. Motivation and Emotion, 27(2), 77–102.
Mroczek, D. K., & Kolarz, C. M. (1998). The effect of age on positive and negative affect: A developmental perspective on happiness. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 75(5), 1333–1349.
Neugarten, B. (1976). Adaptation and the life cycle. Counseling Psychologist, 6(1), 16–20.
Niedenthal, P. M., Brauer, M., Robin, L., & Innes-Ker, A. H. (2002). Adult attachment and the perception of facial expression of emotion. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 82(3), 419–433.
O’Connor, K., & Chamberlain, K. (1996). Dimensions of life meaning: A qualitative investigation at mid-life. British Journal of Psychology, 87(3), 461–477.
Reis, S., & Grenyer, B. F. S. (2004). Fearful attachment, working alliance and treatment response for individuals with major depression. Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, 11(6), 414–424.
Reker, G. T. (1997). Personal meaning, optimism, and choice: Existential predictors of depression in community and institutional elderly. The Gerontologist, 37(6), 709–716.
Reker, G. T. (2000). Theoretical perspective, dimensions, and measurement of existential meaning. In G. T. Reker & K. Chamberlain (Eds.), Exploring existential meaning: Optimizing human development across the life span (pp. 39–55). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Reker, G. T. (2005). Meaning in life of young, middle-aged, and older adults: Factorial validity, age, and gender invariance of the personal meaning index. Personality and Individual Differences, 38(1), 71–85.
Reker, G. T., Peacock, E. J., & Wong, P. T. P. (1987). Meaning and purpose in life and well-being: A life-span perspective. Journal of Gerontology, 42(1), 44–49.
Reker, G. T., & Wong, P. T. P. (1988). Aging as an individual process: Toward a theory of personal meaning. In J. Birren & V. L. Bengston (Eds.), Emergent theories of aging (pp. 214–246). New York: Springer.
Riediger, M., Schmiedek, F., Wagner, G. G., & Lindenberger, U. (2009). Seeking pleasure and seeking pain: Differences in prohedonic and contra-hedonic motivation from adolescence to old age. Psychological Science, 20(12), 1529–1535.
Ryff, C. D. (1989). Happiness is everything, or is it? Explorations on the meaning of psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 57(6), 1069–1081.
Ryff, C. D. (1991). Possible selves in adulthood and old age: A tale of shifting horizons. Psychology and Aging, 6(2), 286–295.
Ryff, C. D. (1995). Psychological well-being in adult life. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 4(4), 99–104.
Ryff, C. D., & Singer, B. (1998). The contours of positive human health. Psychological Inquiry, 9(1), 1–28.
Shaver, P. R., & Mikulincer, M. (2012). An attachment perspective on coping with existential concerns. In P. R. Shaver & M. Mikulincer (Eds.), Meaning, mortality, and choice: The social psychology of existential concerns (pp. 291–307). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Shiota, M. N., Keltner, D., & John, O. P. (2006). Positive emotion dispositions differentially associated with Big Five personality and attachment style. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 1(2), 61–71.
Shmotkin, D. (1990). Subjective well-being as a function of age and gender: A multivariate look for differentiated trends. Social Indicators Research, 23(3), 201–230.
Singer, J. A. (2004). Narrative identity and meaning making across the adult lifespan: An introduction. Journal of Personality, 73(3), 437–459.
Sroufe, L. A., & Waters, E. (1977). Attachment as an organizational construct. Child Development, 48(4), 1184–1199.
Steger, M. F., & Frazier, P. (2005). Meaning in life: One link in the chain from religiousness to well-being. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 52(4), 574–582.
Steger, M. F., Frazier, P., Oishi, S., & Kaler, M. (2006). The meaning in life questionnaire: Assessing the presence of and search for meaning in life. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 53(1), 80–93.
Steger, M. F., & Kashdan, T. B. (2007). Stability and specificity of meaning in life and life satisfaction over one year. Journal of Happiness Studies, 8(2), 161–179.
Steger, M. F., Kashdan, T. B., Sullivan, B. A., & Lorentz, D. (2008). Understanding the search for meaning in life: Personality, cognitive style, and the dynamic between seeking and experiencing meaning. Journal of Personality, 76(2), 199–228.
Steger, M. F., Oishi, S., & Kashdan, T. B. (2009). Meaning in life across the life span: Levels and correlates of meaning in life from emerging adulthood to older adulthood. Journal of Positive Psychology, 4(1), 43–52.
Stillman, T. F., Baumeister, R. F., Lambert, N. M., Crescioni, A. W., DeWall, C. N., & Fincham, F. D. (2009). Alone and without purpose: Life loses meaning following social exclusion. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 45(4), 686–694.
Stewart, L. (2011). Weaving the fabric of attachment. International Journal of Intergrative Psychotherapy, 2(1), 1–9.
Tesch-Römer, C., Motel-Klingebiel, A., & Tomasik, M. J. (2008). Gender differences in subjective well-being: Comparing societies with respect to gender inequality. Social Indicators Research, 85(2), 329–349.
Umberson, D. (1995). Marriage as support or strain? Marital quality following the death of a parent. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 57(3), 709–723.
Uren, T. H., & Wastell, C. A. (2002). Attachment and meaning-making in perinatal bereavement. Death Studies, 26, 279–308.
Van Ranst, N., & Marcoen, A. (1997). Meaning in life of young and elderly adults: An examination of the factorial validity and invariance of the life regard index. Personality and Individual Differences, 22(6), 877–884.
Wei, M., Liao, K. Y., Ku, T., & Shaffer, P. A. (2011). Attachment, self-compassion, empathy, and subjective well-being among college students and community adults. Journal of Personality, 79(1), 191–221.
Williams, K. D. (2012). Ostracism: The impact of being rendered meaningless. In P. R. Shaver & M. Mikulincer (Eds.), Meaning, mortality, and choice: The social psychology of existential concerns (pp. 309–323). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Wong, P. T. P. (2000). Meaning in life and meaning in death in successful aging. In A. Tomer (Ed.), Death attitudes and older adults: Theories, concepts, and application (pp. 23–35). Philadelphia: Taylor and Francis.
Yalom, I. (1980). Existential psychotherapy. New York: Basic Books.
Yu, C. Y., Hung, C. H., Chan, T. F., Yeh, C. H., & Lai, C. Y. (2012). Prenatal predictors for father–infant attachment after childbirth. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 21(11–12), 1577–1583.
Metadata
Title
Do Attachment Styles Affect the Presence and Search for Meaning in Life?
Authors
E. Bodner
Y. S. Bergman
S. Cohen-Fridel
Publication date
01-10-2014
Publisher
Springer Netherlands
Published in
Journal of Happiness Studies / Issue 5/2014
Print ISSN: 1389-4978
Electronic ISSN: 1573-7780
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-013-9462-7

Other articles of this Issue 5/2014

Journal of Happiness Studies 5/2014 Go to the issue

Research Paper

The Happiness of Single Mothers: Evidence from the General Social Survey

Research Paper

Self-Related and Other-Related Pathways to Subjective Well-Being in Japan and the United States

Research Paper

The Hedonic Procedural Effect of Traditional Medicines

Research Paper

Trusting Only Whom You Know, Knowing Only Whom You Trust: The Joint Impact of Social Capital and Trust on Happiness in CEE Countries

Research Paper

Keep Up with the Joneses or Keep on as Their Neighbours: Life Satisfaction and Income in Canadian Urban Neighbourhoods

Research Paper

Association Between Adolescent Eudaimonic Behaviours and Emotional Competence in Young Adulthood