Dismissive Avoidant Attachment - What it is, Causes & Signs

A dismissive avoidant attachment style in adulthood is one of the insecure attachment styles characterized by the lack of desire for ... SkiptoContent |Attachmenttheory&attachmentstyles|Avoidantattachmentinchildhood|Causes|Signs|Dismissiveavoidantattachmentinparents| Whatisdismissiveavoidantattachment Adismissiveavoidantattachmentstyleinadulthoodisoneoftheinsecureattachmentstylescharacterizedbythelackofdesireforemotionalconnectionwithothers.Whiletheydistrustothers,theyhavehighself-esteemandseethemselvesinapositivelight. Attachmenttheory&attachmentstyles Attachmenttheory,proposedbypsychiatristJohnBowlby,suggeststhatinfantsarepredisposedtoformstrongemotionalbondswiththeirprimarycaregiverbecausecloseproximityimprovestheirchancesofsurvival.Attachmentbehaviorformsapattern,calledtheattachmentstyle. Thefourchildattachmentstylesare: SecureattachmentstyleAvoidantattachmentstyleAmbivalentattachmentstyle(oranxiousattachmentstyle)Disorganizedattachmentstyle(ordisorientedattachmentstyle) Thesetypesofattachmentrepresentthebaby’sinternalworkingmodelsofthemselves,others,andtherelationshipswiththem​1​. Thesemodelsaredevelopedearlyinchildhoodandcarriedforwardinlifeinfluencingone’sfuturerelationshipsandsocialinteractions​2​. AvoidantAttachmentinchildhood  Inearlychildhood,avoidantattachmentoccurswhenanattachmentfigurehabituallyrejectsababy’sconnection-seekingbehaviorsduringtimesofdistress.Often,theseparentsareemotionallyrigidandirritabletowardstheirinfants.Asaresult,childrenavoidseekingcomfortfromcaregiverswhentheyareindistress​3​.  Insecureavoidantinfantsgenerallyperceiveothersascold,rejecting,ormanipulative.Theyhaveanegativemodelofothersandviewrelationshipsasinsecureandunstable. Toprotectthemselves,theyavoidcloserelationshipsandmaintainanemotionaldistance.Whencopingwithanxiety-producingsituations,theydeactivateorinhibittheirattachmentsysteminsteadofseekingcomfortfromothers​4​. Whatcausesdismissiveavoidantattachmentinadults HazanandShaversuggestedthatinfants’mainattachmentstyles,identifiedinMaryAinsworth’sStrangeSituation,oftenpersistintoadultlife​5​. Twentyyearsofresearchdatashowthat72%ofadultshavethesameadultattachmentstylesaswhentheywereinfants.Ifattachmentclassificationschange,theyareoftenassociatedwithtraumaticevents​6​. Growingupwithanavoidantattachmenttendstoresultinadismissive-avoidantattachmentstyleinadulthoodand25%oftheadultpopulationdisplaysthispatternofbehavior. Signsofdismissiveavoidantattachmentinadults Manystudieshavefoundthatanadult’sattachmentstyleshapesthequalityoftheirinterpersonalrelationships​7,8​.Thistypeofattachmentstyleisnegativelycorrelatedwithvariousaspectsofadults’closestrelationships​9,10​. Therearetwokeydimensions–anxietyandavoidance–underpinningthedifferentattachmentstylesleadingtodifferentpatternsofbehaviorthroughoutlife. Avoidantadultsscorehighontheavoidancescaleandlowontheanxietyscale.  Attachmentissuesintheearlyyearsleftdismissiveindividualswithafearofintimacy.Theytendtodistrustothersandavoidfeelingsofcloseness.Asaresult,theyavoidinteractionswithotherpeopleanddeactivatetheirresponsesystemtocopewithstress.Itislikelythattheywilldecreaseanykindofinteractionorfeelingintheromanticrelationship,positiveornegative​11​. Adismissive-avoidantpersoncannotformsupportiverelationships.Theyarenotcomfortableprovidingsupporttofriendsorromanticpartnersandtheyfeellessobligatedtodoso.Theirviewofthosewhoseeksupportisthattheyaredependent,weak,emotionallyunstable,andimmature. Whileavoidantindividualsdistrustotherpeople,theytendtohavehigherself-esteem.Theygenerallyhaveapositiveperceptionofthemselves. Duetothelackofconfidenceintheavailabilityofothersforemotionalsupport,theyinvestdisproportionatelyintheirownabilitiesoraccomplishments​12​.Thesepeopleareoftenworkaholics​13​wholacksatisfactionintheirintimaterelationships​14​. Dismissiveavoidantattachmentinparents Avoidantindividuals’aversiontocaregivingisthemainobstacletobecomingparents. Forexample,avoidantfathersmayprovidelesscaretotheirfemalepartnersduringthelaboranddeliveryperiod.Thesefathersaremoredistantfromtheirinfants​15​.  Inadditiontoexperiencinggreaterstressafterthebirthofachild,parentswithanavoidantattachmentexperiencelesssatisfactionfromparenting​16​. AlsoSee:FearfulAvoidantvsDismissiveAvoidantAttachmentStyles Finalthoughtsondismissiveavoidantattachment Adeclineinrelationshipsatisfactioncannegativelyimpacteveryoneinthefamily.Thosewhoarelesssatisfiedinrelationshipstendtosufferfrommoredepression​17​andhigherratesofotherpsychiatricdisorders. Ifthisisaffectingyourcurrentrelationships,seekhelpfromexperiencedhealthcareprofessionals.Theycanhelpyouwithunresolvedissueswithcaretakersinchildhoodandhealattachmentwoundssothatyoucanformahealthyrelationshipandexperiencetrueintimacy.Youcanalsoconsiderseeingacouplestherapistwithyourcurrentpartnertoimproveyouremotionalcloseness.  Acknowledgingyourfeelingsofinsecuritycanhelpyoudealwithdifficultiesinrelationships.Byworkingonit,fulfillingrelationshipsarewithinyourreach. References 1.ShaverP,HazanC.Beinglonely,fallinginlove:Perspectivesfromattachmenttheory.JournalofSocialBehavior&Personality.1987;1(2):105–124. 2.CollinsNL,ReadSJ.Adultattachment,workingmodels,andrelationshipqualityindatingcouples.JournalofPersonalityandSocialPsychology.Publishedonline1990:644-663.doi:10.1037/0022-3514.58.4.644 3.BartholomewK.AvoidanceofIntimacy:AnAttachmentPerspective.JournalofSocialandPersonalRelationships.PublishedonlineMay1990:147-178.doi:10.1177/0265407590072001 4.DozierM,KobakRR.PsychophysiologyinAttachmentInterviews:ConvergingEvidenceforDeactivatingStrategies.ChildDevelopment.PublishedonlineDecember1992:1473.doi:10.2307/1131569 5.WeardenAJ,LambertonN,CrookN,WalshV.Adultattachment,alexithymia,andsymptomreporting.JournalofPsychosomaticResearch.PublishedonlineMarch2005:279-288.doi:10.1016/j.jpsychores.2004.09.010 6.WatersE,MerrickS,TrebouxD,CrowellJ,AlbersheimL.AttachmentSecurityinInfancyandEarlyAdulthood:ATwenty‐YearLongitudinalStudy.ChildDevelopment.PublishedonlineMay2000:684-689.doi:10.1111/1467-8624.00176 7.CannA,NormanMA,WelbourneJL,CalhounLG.Attachmentstyles,conflictstylesandhumourstyles:interrelationshipsandassociationswithrelationshipsatisfaction.EurJPers.PublishedonlineMarch2008:131-146.doi:10.1002/per.666 8.BUTZERB,CAMPBELLL.Adultattachment,sexualsatisfaction,andrelationshipsatisfaction:Astudyofmarriedcouples.PersonalRelationships.PublishedonlineMarch2008:141-154.doi:10.1111/j.1475-6811.2007.00189.x 9.CreaseyG,Hesson-McInnisM.Affectiveresponses,cognitiveappraisals,andconflicttacticsinlateadolescentromanticrelationships:Associationswithattachmentorientations.JournalofCounselingPsychology.Publishedonline2001:85-96.doi:10.1037/0022-0167.48.1.85 10.TranS,SimpsonJA.Prorelationshipmaintenancebehaviors:Thejointrolesofattachmentandcommitment.JournalofPersonalityandSocialPsychology.Publishedonline2009:685-698.doi:10.1037/a0016418 11.ShaverPR,MikulincerM.Attachment-relatedpsychodynamics.Attachment&HumanDevelopment.PublishedonlineSeptember2002:133-161.doi:10.1080/14616730210154171 12.CarvalloM,GabrielS.NoManIsanIsland:TheNeedtoBelongandDismissingAvoidantAttachmentStyle.PersSocPsycholBull.PublishedonlineMay2006:697-709.doi:10.1177/0146167205285451 13.TzinerA,TanamiM.Examiningthelinksbetweenattachment,perfectionism,andjobmotivationpotentialwithjobengagementandworkaholism.RevistadePsicologíadelTrabajoydelasOrganizaciones.PublishedonlineAugust2013:65-74.doi:10.5093/tr2013a10 14.LiT,ChanDKS.Howanxiousandavoidantattachmentaffectromanticrelationshipqualitydifferently:Ameta-analyticreview.EurJSocPsychol.PublishedonlineJanuary20,2012:406-419.doi:10.1002/ejsp.1842 15.WilsonCL,RholesWS,SimpsonJA,TranS.Labor,Delivery,andEarlyParenthood.PersSocPsycholBull.PublishedonlineMarch30,2007:505-518.doi:10.1177/0146167206296952 16.KohnJL,RholesSW,SimpsonJA,MartinAMIII,TranS,WilsonCL.ChangesinMaritalSatisfactionAcrosstheTransitiontoParenthood.PersSocPsycholBull.PublishedonlineAugust9,2012:1506-1522.doi:10.1177/0146167212454548 17.BeachSRH,KatzJ,KimS,BrodyGH.ProspectiveEffectsofMaritalSatisfactiononDepressiveSymptomsin        EstablishedMarriages:ADyadicModel.JournalofSocialandPersonalRelationships.PublishedonlineJune1,2003:355-371.doi:10.1177/0265407503020003005 Wasthisarticlehelpful? 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