Attachment security priming: a systematic review
Section snippets
Method
In line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA; see Figure 1) the review methodology involved four steps — identification, screening, eligibility and inclusion. As part of the identification step, a series of electronic databases were used to conduct literature searches, and a variety of keywords were used separately and in combination to identify articles (see Figure 1). Specific author names known to conduct work in security priming were also
Results
The identification of articles through the searching of electronic databases using the search terms outlined (see Figure 1) revealed a total of 106 articles. Examination of these records through abstract and full-text review against the inclusion criteria resulted in a total of 16 papers for qualitative synthesis. Of these 16 papers, three papers detailed multiple studies assessing the effects of security priming (see Table 1). Therefore, a total of 20 studies were evaluated as part of the
Discussion
The findings of this systematic review (limited to research published in the last two years) demonstrates that supraliminally administered security priming appears to be associated with beneficial effects across a diverse set of domains. Moreover, as a collective set of studies, the findings speak to the effectiveness of a specific kind of security priming — guided imagery or visualization of a security enhancing interaction.
Regarding outcome variables, despite the wide array, 85% of the
Conflict of interest statement
Nothing declared.
References and recommended reading
Papers of particular interest, published within the period of review, have been highlighted as:
• of special interest
•• of outstanding interest
References (36)
- et al.
Neural evidence for a multifaceted model of attachment security
Int J Psychophysiol
(2013) - et al.
Attachment security balances perspectives: effects of security priming on highly optimistic and pessimistic explanatory styles
Front Psychol
(2016) - et al.
From primed concepts to action: a meta-analysis of the behavioral effects of incidentally presented words
Psychol Bull
(2016) - et al.
Adult Attachment: A Concise Introduction to Theory and Research
(2016) - et al.
Attachment security and prosociality: dynamics, underlying mechanisms, and implications
- et al.
A spreading-activation theory of semantic processing
Psychol Rev
(1975) - et al.
Knowledge activation
- et al.
Moving toward a secure attachment style: can repeated security priming help?
Soc Per Psychol Compass
(2008) - et al.
Boosting attachment security to promote mental health, prosocial values, and inter-group tolerance
Psychol Inq
(2007) - et al.
The affective component of the secure base schema: affective priming with representations of attachment security
J Pers Soc Psychol
(2001)
Attachment theory and intergroup bias: evidence that priming the secure base schema attenuates negative reactions to out-groups
J Pers Soc Psychol
The effects of psychological security and insecurity on political attitudes and leadership preferences
Eur J Soc Psychol
An attachment-theoretical approach to compassion and altruism
Attachment, caregiving, and altruism: boosting attachment security increases compassion and helping
J Pers Soc Psychol
Attachment security priming as a potential intervention for depressive symptoms
J Soc Clin Psychol
Repeated priming of attachment security influences later views of self and relationships
Pers Relatsh
On the association between loneliness and bathing habits: nine replications of Bargh and Shalev (2012) Study 1
Emotion
Two failures to replicate high-performance-goal priming effects
PLoS ONE
Cited by (79)
The association between attachment orientations and empathy: The mediation effect of self-concept clarity
2022, Acta PsychologicaCitation Excerpt :However, the recent literature suggests context- or relationship-specific attachment models (Fraley et al., 2015), according to which empathic processes or responses may change as a result of situational or contextual factors (Cassidy et al., 2018). Furthermore, individuals with a more insecure overall attachment style can also benefit from situational factors that promote a sense of felt security, as demonstrated in priming studies (e.g., Gillath & Karantzas, 2019). Importantly, we do not claim that attachment orientations or SCC are the single most important mechanisms contributing to empathy, or that attachment theory provides a comprehensive meaning framework.
A feasibility and pilot additive randomised control trial of attachment security priming during behavioural activation
2023, Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy