Attachment, caregiving in couple relationships, and prosocial behavior in the wider world. (February 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Shaver, Phillip R; Mikulincer, Mario; Cassidy, Jude
• Is Part Of: Current opinion in psychology. Volume 25(2019)
• Page Start: 16
• Page End: 20
• Publication Date: 2019-02
• Subjects: Psychology -- Periodicals; 150.5
• DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2018.02.009
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2352-250X

Abstract

Highlights: Avoidant people's wish to maintain emotional independence interferes with sensitive and responsive caregiving. Anxious people's self-focus, combined with worries that others will not be available when needed, interferes with caregiving. Experimentally augmented attachment security facilitates responsiveness to needy relationship partners or strangers. Experimentally augmented attachment security overrides some of the barriers to caregiving and prosocial behavior. Abstract : According to attachment theory, a sense of attachment security (confidence that others will be available and supportive when needed) facilitates the functioning of the caregiving behavioral system and the empathic provision of care to suffering others. In this article we review what has been learned during the last decade about attachment-related individual differences in caregiving within couple relationships and prosocial behavior in the wider world. We begin with a brief account of attachment theory and the dynamic interplay of the attachment and caregiving behavioral systems. We then review findings from correlational and experimental studies showing that attachment security has positive influences on noticing and reacting favorably to the suffering of romantic partners and strangers.