Affective dimensions of attachment styles: Exploring self-reported attachment style, gender, and emotional experience among college students.

Abstract

This study explored the relationships among self-reported attachment styles, gender, and several aspects of subjective emotional experience pertinent to the counseling situation: (a) attention to emotion, (b) intensity of emotion, and (c) emotional expressivity. Four self-report measures, including an adult attachment style questionnaire and 3 measures of emotion, were given to 140 undergraduates. Results show that attachment groups could be distinguished on the basis of their emotional experience along 2 dimensions: (a) expressivity and (b) intentness, a combination of attention and intensity. Men and women could be distinguished on a combination of all 3 dependent measures. Gender differences were less prominent, however, when men and women within the same attachment style were compared. Implications for counseling are discussed.