Abstract
The attachment styles formed early in life within the family context have been shown to be related to those formed in future relationships, notably the romantic relationships experienced as adults. One way of managing or altering negative behaviors or instinctive reactions in response to situations that evoke pain or stress is to increase mindfulness. As mindfulness is something that can be developed, a deeper understanding of its role in mediating the relationship between parental and romantic attachment styles may open up new developmental avenues for more effective therapy interventions. The present study aims to examine the link between mindfulness and the interplay between parental and romantic attachment styles; specifically, it explores the potentially important role of dispositional mindfulness in the context of family and romantic relationship interactions. The data used in this study were collected using questionnaire surveys distributed to 195 first-year psychology students, chosen as young people transitioning towards adulthood. The results showed a positive correlation between attachment styles (both parental and romantic) and dispositional mindfulness, in line with the results of previous studies. Statistical analyses were based on a structural equation modeling framework to determine the degree to which dispositional mindfulness mediates the existing links between parental and romantic attachment styles adequately fitted the data only for attachment to the mother. Future studies focused on examining the effectiveness of therapy designed to enhance dispositional mindfulness could deepen understanding of the interpersonal processes active both in romantic relationships and in different family contexts.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
An, Y., Yuan, G., Liu, Z., Zhou, Y., & Xu, W. (2018). Dispositional mindfulness mediates the relationships of parental attachment to posttraumatic stress disorder and academic burnout in adolescents following the Yancheng tornado. European Journal of Psychotraumatology. https://doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2018.1472989.
Armsden, G. C., & Greenberg, M. T. (1987). The inventory of parent and peer attachment: Individual differences and their relationship to psychological well-being in adolescence. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 16(5), 427–454. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02202939.
Baer, R. A., Smith, G. T., & Allen, K. B. (2004). Assessment of mindfulness by self-report: the Kentucky inventory of mindfulness skills. Assessment, 11(3), 191–206. https://doi.org/10.1177/1073191104268029.
Baer, R. A., Smith, G. T., Hopkins, J., Krietemeyer, J., & Toney, L. (2006). Using self-report assessment methods to explore facets of mindfulness. Assessment, 13(1), 27–45. https://doi.org/10.1177/1073191105283504.
Barnes, S., Brown, K. W., Krusemark, E., Campbell, W. K., & Rogge, R. D. (2007). The role of mindfulness in romantic relationship satisfaction and responses to relationship stress. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 33(4), 482–500. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1752-0606.2007.00033.x.
Bergomi, C., Tschacher, W., & Kupper, Z. (2013). Measuring mindfulness: First steps towards the development of a comprehensive mindfulness scale. Mindfulness, 4(1), 18–32. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-012-0102-9.
Block-Lerner, J., Adair, C., Plumb, J. C., Rhatigan, D. L., & Orsillo, S. M. (2007). The case for mindfulness-based approaches in the cultivation of empathy: Does nonjudgmental, present-moment awareness increase capacity for perspective-taking and empathic concern? Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 33(4), 501–516. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1752-0606.2007.00034.x.
Bowlby, J. (1988). A secure base: Parent-child attachment and healthy human development. New York: Basic Books.
Brennan, K., Clark, C. L., & Shaver, P. R. (1998). Self-report measurement of adult attachment. In J. A. Simpson & W. S. Rholes (Eds.), Attachment theory and close relationships (pp. 46–76). New York: Guilford.
Brown, K. W., & Ryan, R. M. (2003). The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(4), 822–848. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.84.4.822.
Brown, K. W., Ryan, R. M., & Creswell, J. D. (2007a). Mindfulness: Theoretical foundations and evidence for its salutary effects. Psychological Inquiry, 18(4), 211–237. https://doi.org/10.1080/10478400701598298.
Brown, K. W., Ryan, R. M., & Creswell, J. D. (2007b). Addressing fundamental questions about mindfulness. Psychological Inquiry, 18(4), 272–281. https://doi.org/10.1080/10478400701703344.
Browne, M. W., & Cudeck, R. (1992). Alternative ways of assessing model fit. Sociological Methods & Research, 21(2), 230–258. https://doi.org/10.1177/0049124192021002005.
Burgdorf, V., Szabó, M., & Abbott, M. J. (2019). The effect of mindfulness interventions for parents on parenting stress and youth psychological outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 1336. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01336.
Burpee, L. C., & Langer, E. J. (2005). Mindfulness and marital satisfaction. Journal of Adult Development, 12(1), 43–51. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10804-005-1281-6.
Caldwell, J. G., & Shaver, P. R. (2012). Exploring the cognitive-emotional pathways between adult attachment and ego- resiliency. Individual Differences Research, 10(3), 141–152.
Caldwell, J. G., & Shaver, P. R. (2013). Mediators of the link between adult attachment and mindfulness. Interpersona, 7(2), 299–310. https://doi.org/10.5964/ijpr.v7i2.133.
Caldwell, J. G., & Shaver, P. R. (2015). Promoting attachment-related mindfulness and compassion: A wait-list-controlled study of women who were mistreated during childhood. Mindfulness, 6(3), 624–636.
Campbell, L., Simpson, J. A., Boldry, J. G., & Kashy, D. A. (2005). Perceptions of conflict and support in romantic relationships: The role of attachment anxiety. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 88, 510–531.
Carson, J. W., Carson, K. M., Gil, K. M., & Baucom, D. H. (2004). Mindfulness-based relationship enhancement. Behavior Therapy, 35(3), 471–494. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0005-7894(04)80028-5.
Carson, J. W., Carson, K. M., Gil, K. M., & Baucom, D. H. (2007). Self-expansion as a mediator of relationship improvements in a mindfulness intervention. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 33(4), 517–528. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1752-.
Chen, X., He, J., Fan, X., & Cai, Z. (2018). Attachments, dispositional mindfulness, and psychological distress: A mediation analysis. Current Psychology: A Journal for Diverse Perspectives on Diverse Psychological Issues. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-018-0088-00606.2007.00035.x.
Collins, N. L., & Feeney, B. C. (2004). Working models of attachment shape perceptions of social support: Evidence from experimental and observational studies. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 87, 363–383.
Cozzarelli, C., Karafa, J. A., Collins, N. L., & Tagler, M. J. (2003). Stability and change in adult attachment styles: Associations with personal vulnerabilities, life events, and global construals of self and others. Journal of Social & Clinical Psychology, 22(3), 315–346. https://doi.org/10.1521/jscp.22.3.315.22888.
Crowell, J. A., Treboux, D., & Waters, E. (2002). Stability of attachment representations: the transition to marriage. Developmental Psychology, 38(4), 467–479. https://doi.org/10.1037//0012-1649.38.4.467.
Davila, J., Karney, B. R., & Bradbury, T. N. (1999). Attachment change processes in the early years of marriage. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 76(5), 783–802.
Dekeyser, M., Raes, F., Leijssen, M., Leysen, S., & Dewulf, D. (2008). Mindfulness skills and interpersonal behaviour. Personality and Individual Differences, 44(5), 1235–1245. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2007.11.018.
Dinero, R. E., Conger, R. D., Shaver, P. R., Widaman, K. F., & Larsen-Rife, D. (2008). Influence of family of origin and adult romantic partners on romantic attachment security. Journal of Family Psychology, 22(4), 622–632. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0012506.
Ein-Dor, T., Mikulincer, M., & Shaver, P. R. (2011). Effective reaction to danger: Attachment insecurities predict behavioral reactions to an experimentally induced threat above and beyond general personality traits. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 2(5), 467–473. https://doi.org/10.1177/1948550610397843.
Fraley, C. R. (2002). Attachment stability from infancy to adulthood: Meta-analysis and dynamic modeling of developmental mechanisms. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 6(2), 123–151. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327957PSPR0602_03.
Fraley, R. C., Waller, N. G., & Brennan, K. A. (2000). An item response theory analysis of self-report measures of adult attachment. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 78(2), 350–365.
Goodall, K., Brodie, Z. P., & Schwannauer, M. (2020). Mediators of the relationship between attachment and dispositional mindfulness in adolescents. Mindfulness. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-020-01395-6.
Goodall, K., Trejnowska, A., & Darling, S. (2012). The relationship between dispositional mindfulness, attachment security and emotion regulation. Personality and Individual Differences, 52(5), 622–626. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2011.12.008.
Guendelman, S., Medeiros, S., & Rampes, H. (2017). Mindfulness and emotion regulation: Insights from neurobiological, psychological, and clinical studies. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 220. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00220.
Haft, W. L., & Slade, A. (1989). Affect attunement and maternal attachment: A pilot study. Infant Mental Health Journal, 10(3), 157–172. https://doi.org/10.1002/1097-0355(198923)10:3<157:AID-IMHJ2280100304>3.0.CO;2-3.
Hair, J. F., Black, W. C., Babin, B. J., & Anderson, R. E. (2010). Multivariate data analysis: A global perspective. New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Hazan, C., & Shaver, P. (1987). Romantic love conceptualized as an attachment process. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 52(3), 511–524.
Heeren, A., Deplus, S., Peschard, V., Nef, F., Kotsou, I., Dierickx, C., et al. (2014). Does change in self-reported mindfulness mediate the clinical benefits of mindfulness training? A controlled study using the french translation of the five facet mindfulness questionnaire. Mindfulness. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-014-0287-1.
Heeren, A., Van Broeck, N., & Philippot, P. (2009). The effects of mindfulness on executive processes and autobiographical memory specificity. Behavior Research Therapy, 47(5), 403–409. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2009.01.017.
Hicks, L. M., Dayton, C. J., Brown, S., Muzik, M., & Raveau, H. (2018). Mindfulness moderates depression and quality of prenatal attachment in expectant parents. Mindfulness. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-018-0907-2.
Hudson, N. W., Fraley, R. C., Brumbaugh, C. C., & Vicary, A. M. (2014). Coregulation in romantic partners’ attachment styles: A longitudinal investigation. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 40(7), 845–857. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167214528989.
Jones, K. C., Welton, S. R., Oliver, T. C., & Thoburn, J. W. (2011). Mindfulness, spousal attachment, and marital satisfaction: A mediated model. The Family Journal, 19(4), 357–361. https://doi.org/10.1177/1066480711417234.
Juneau, C., Pellerin, N., Trives, E., Ricard, M., Shankland, R., & Dambrun, M. (2020). Reliability and validity of an equanimity questionnaire: The two-factor equanimity scale (EQUA-S). PeerJ, 8:e9405. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.9405
Kabat-Zinn, J. (1982). An outpatient program in behavioral medicine for chronic pain patients based on the practice of mindfulness meditation: Theoretical considerations and preliminary results. General Hospital Psychiatry, 4, 33–47.
Kabat-Zinn, J. (1990/2005). Full catastrophe living: Using the wisdom of your body and mind to face stress, pain, and illness, 15th anniversary ed. Delta Trade Paperback/Bantam Dell.
Kabat-Zinn, J. (1993). Mindfulness meditation: Health benefits of an ancient Buddhist practice. In D. Goleman & J. Garin (Eds.), Mind/Body Medicine. Yonkers, NY: Consumer Reports.
Kabat-Zinn, J. (2003). Mindfulness-based interventions in context: Past, present, and future. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 10(2), 144–156. https://doi.org/10.1093/clipsy/bpg016.
Kimmes, J. G., Durtschi, J. A., & Fincham, F. D. (2017). Perception in romantic relationships: A latent profile analysis of trait mindfulness in relation to attachment and attributions. Mindfulness, 8(5), 1328–1338. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-017-0708-z.
Kirkpatrick, L. A., & Hazan, C. (1994). Attachment styles and close relationships: A four-year prospective study. Personal Relationships, 1(2), 123–142.
Kozlowski, A. (2013). Mindful mating: Exploring the connection between mindfulness and relationship satisfaction. Sexual and Relationship Therapy, 28(1–2), 92–104.
Lafontaine, M., Brassard, A., Lussier, Y., Valois, P., Shaver, P. R., & Johnson, S. M. (2016). Selecting the best items for a short-form of the experiences in close relationships questionnaire. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 32(2), 140–154. https://doi.org/10.1027/1015-5759/a000243.
Lafontaine, M.-F., & Lussier, Y. (2003). Structure bidimensionnelle de l’attachement amoureux: Anxiété face à l’abandon et évitement de l’intimité. = Bidimensional structure of attachment in love: Anxiety over abandonment and avoidance of intimacy. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science/Revue Canadienne des Sciences du Comportement, 35(1), 56–60. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0087187.
Langer, E. J., & Moldoveanu, M. (2000). The construct of mindfulness. Journal of Social Issues, 56(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1111/0022-4537.00148.
Liu, Y., Ding, Y., Lu, L., & Chen, X. (2017). Attention bias of avoidant individuals to attachment emotion pictures. Scientific Reports, 7, 41631. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep41631.
Mallinckrodt, B., Abraham, W. T., Wei, M., & Russel, D. W. (2006). Advance in testing the statistical significance of mediation effects. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 53(3), 372–378.
Mallinckrodt, B., McNett, A. M. S., Celebi, E., Birks, K. M., Tsai, C.-L., & Williams, B. E. (2013). Cognitive primes for attachment security can increase cultural empathy, but also interact negatively with attachment anxiety. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 32(10), 1013–1039. https://doi.org/10.1521/jscp.2013.32.10.1013.
Mikulincer, M., & Shaver, P. R. (2007). Attachment, group-related processes, and psychotherapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 57(2), 233–245. https://doi.org/10.1521/ijgp.2007.57.2.233.
Moreira, H., Gouveia, M. J., & Canavarro, M. C. (2018). Is mindful parenting associated with adolescents’ well-being in early and middle/late adolescence? The mediating role of adolescents’ attachment representations, self-compassion and mindfulness. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 47(8), 1771–1788. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-018-0808-7.
O'Kelly, M., & Collard, J. (2012). Using mindfulness with couples: Theory and practice. In A. Vernon & A. Vernon (Eds.), Cognitive and rational-emotive behavior therapy with couples: Theory and practice (pp. 17–31). New York: Springer Science + Business Media.
Pepping, C. A., Davis, P. J., & O’Donovan, A. (2013). Individual differences in attachment and dispositional mindfulness: The mediating role of emotion regulation. Personality and Individual Differences, 54(3), 453–456. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2012.10.006.
Pepping, C. A., Davis, P. J., & O’Donovan, A. (2015). The association between state attachment security and state mindfulness. PLoS ONE, 10, e0116779.
Pepping, C. A., O’Donovan, A., & Davis, P. J. (2014). The differential relationship between mindfulness and attachment in experienced and inexperienced meditators. Mindfulness, 5, 392–399.
Pickard, J. A., Townsend, M., Caputi, P., & Grenyer, B. F. S. (2017). Observing the influence of mindfulness and attachment styles through mother and infant interaction: A longitudinal study. Infant Mental Health Journal, 38(3), 343–350. https://doi.org/10.1002/imhj.21645.
Pinquart, M., Feussner, C., & Ahnert, L. (2013). Meta-analytic evidence for stability in attachments from infancy to early adulthood. Attachment and Human Development, 15(2), 189–218. https://doi.org/10.1080/14616734.2013.746257.
Prior, V., & Glaser, D. (2006). Understanding attachment and attachment disorders: Theory, evidence and practice. London, England: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Potharst, E. S., Baartmans, J. M. D., & Bögels, S. M. (2018). Mindful parenting training in a clinical versus non-clinical setting: An explorative study. Mindfulness. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-018-1021-1.
Rognoni, E., Galati, D., Costa, T., & Crini, M. (2008). Relationship between adult attachment patterns, emotional experience and EEG frontal asymmetry. Personality and Individual Differences, 44(4), 909–920. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2007.10.021.
Rowe, A. C., Shepstone, L., Carnelley, K. B., Cavanagh, K., & Millings, A. (2016). Attachment security and self-compassion priming increase the likelihood that first-time engagers in mindfulness meditation will continue with mindfulness training. Mindfulness, 7(3), 642–650. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-016-0499-7.
Ryan, R. M., Brown, K. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2007). How integrative is attachment theory? Unpacking the meaning and significance of felt security. Psychological Inquiry, 18, 177–182.
Saavedra, M. C., Chapman, K. E., & Rogge, R. D. (2010). Clarifying links between attachment and relationship quality: Hostile conflict and mindfulness asmoderators. Journal of Family Psychology, 24(4), 380–390. https://doi-org.bases-doc.univ-lorraine.fr/10.1037/a0019872.
Schutte, N. S., Malouff, J. M., Bobik, C., Coston, T. D., Greeson, C., Jedlicka, C., et al. (2001). Emotional intelligence and interpersonal relations. The Journal of Social Psychology, 141(4), 523–536. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224540109600569.
Shankland, R., Strub, L., Cuny, C., Steiler, D., Vallet, F., Mondillon, L., Lebarbenchon, E., & Bergomi, C. (2013, mai). French validation of the Comprehensive Inventory of Mindfulness Experiences (CHIME). First International Conference on Mindfulness, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
Shaver, P. R., Lavy, S., Saron, C. D., & Mikulincer, M. (2007). Social foundations of the capacity for mindfulness: An attachment perspective. Psychological Inquiry, 18(4), 264–271. https://doi.org/10.1080/10478400701598389.
Simpson, J. A., Rholes, W. S., Campbell, L., & Wilson, C. L. (2003). Changes in attachment orientations across the transitions to parenthood. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 39(4), 317–331. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-1031(03)00030-1.
Snyder, R., Shapiro, S., & Treleaven, D. (2012). Attachment theory and mindfulness. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 21, 709–717.
Smit, S., Martens, C., Ackland, P., & Mikami, A. Y. (2018). Combining attachment and mindfulness to improve family functioning: Pilot of an attachment-based mindfulness program. Journal of Family Psychotherapy. https://doi.org/10.1080/08975353.2018.1487247.
Stanton, S. C., & Campbell, L. (2014). Perceived social support moderates the link between attachment anxiety and health outcomes. PLoS ONE, 9(4), e23839. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0095358.
Stevenson, J. C., Emerson, L.-M., & Millings, A. (2017). The relationship between adult attachment orientation and mindfulness: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Mindfulness, 8(6), 1438–1455. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-017-0733-y.
Trent, N. L., Park, C., Bercovitz, K., & Chapman, I. M. (2016). Trait socio-cognitive mindfulness is related to affective and cognitive empathy. Journal of Adult Development, 23(1), 62–67. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10804-015-9225-2.
Vignoli, E., & Mallet, P. (2004). Validation of a brief measure of adolescents’ parent attachment based on Armsden and Greenberg’s three-dimension model. European Review of Applied Psychology/Revue Européenne de Psychologie Appliquée, 54(4), 251–260. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erap.2004.04.003.
Wachs, K., & Cordova, J. V. (2007). Mindful relating: exploring mindfulness and emotion repertoires in intimate relationships. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 33(4), 464–481. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1752-0606.2007.00032.x.
Walsh, J. J., Balint, M. G., SmoliraSJ, D. R., Fredericksen, L. K., & Madsen, S. (2009). Predicting individual differences in mindfulness: The role of trait anxiety, attachment anxiety and attentional control. Personality and Individual Differences, 46(2), 94–99. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2008.09.008.
Welwood, J. (1996). Reflection and presence: The dialectic of self-knowledge. Journal of Transpersonal Psychology, 28(2), 107–128.
Wei, M., Vogel, D. L., Ku, T. Y., & Zakalik, R. A. (2005). Adult attachment, affect regulation, negative mood, and interpersonal problems: The mediating roles of emotional reactivity and emotional cutoff. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 52(1), 14–24. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.52.1.14.
Zhang, F. (2009). The relationship between state attachment security and daily interpersonal experience. Journal of Research in Personality, 43, 511–515.
Zhang, W., Wang, M., & Ying, L. (2019). Parental mindfulness and preschool children’s emotion regulation: The role of mindful parenting and secure parent-child attachment. Mindfulness. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-019-01120-y.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Disclosures
Estelle Fall and Rebecca Shankland declare that they have no conflicts of interest.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Fall, E., Shankland, R. The Mediating Role of Dispositional Mindfulness in the Relationship Between Parental and Romantic Attachment. J Adult Dev 28, 126–137 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10804-020-09362-0
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10804-020-09362-0