Abstract
Attachment serves to facilitate the contact with and proximity to the primary caregiver, in that way contributing to a safe exploration of the environment. However, due to inconsistencies in the reaction of the caregiver or her/his absence, insecure attachment styles may develop. This chapter summarizes attachment theory and assessment issues and describes how these attachment processes may exert a life-time influence on emotion regulation. While securely attached individuals can deal adequately with both positive and negative emotions, dismissively attached individuals develop a strong tendency to suppress or deactivate negative affect. In contrast, preoccupied attached individuals hyperactivate negative affect to get attention from their attachment figure. Since there is a close connection between emotion regulation and well-being, this may explain why securely attached individuals generally have more satisfying relationships and a better well-being than their insecurely attached counterparts.
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Maas, J., Laan, A., Vingerhoets, A. (2011). Attachment, Emotion Regulation and Adult Crying. In: Nyklíček, I., Vingerhoets, A., Zeelenberg, M. (eds) Emotion Regulation and Well-Being. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-6953-8_11
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-6953-8_11
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