Activating Attachments Reduces Memories of Traumatic Images

Abstract

Emotional memories, and especially intrusive memories, are a common feature of many psychological disorders, and are overconsolidated by stress. Attachment theory posits that activation of mental representations of attachment figures can reduce stress and boost coping. This study tested the proposition that attachment activation would reduce consolidation of emotional and intrusive memories. Sixty-seven undergraduate students viewed subliminal presentations of traumatic and neutral images, which were preceded by subliminal presentations of either attachment-related images or non-attachment-related images; free recall and intrusive memories were assessed two days later. Participants with low avoidant attachment tendencies who received the attachment primes recalled fewer memories and reported fewer intrusions than those who received the non-attachment primes. Unexpectedly, those with high anxious attachment tendencies reported fewer memories. These findings generally accord with attachment theory, and suggest that consolidation of emotional memories can be moderated by activation of attachment representations.

Intergenerational attachment orientations: Gender differences and environmental contribution

“…the birth of a child, income, employment status) are likely to moderate this transmission and provide an additional factor influencing people’s attachment orientation in adulthood. Studies that have primed attachment-related thoughts in adulthood have shown that these thoughts can moderate inherent attachment- related effects on people’s behavior as well as emotions [ 12 , 34 – 36 , for a review of recent findings see 37 ]. Thus, if even brief priming leads to changes in cognitions and behaviors, it is reasonable to assume that more stable and significant long-lasting experiences and conditions in adulthood are likely to moderate the transmission of attachment from childhood to adulthood.…”

Reconsolidating Intrusive Distressing Memories by Thinking of Attachment Figures

“…Recent studies have found that priming attachment figures following retrieval of a negative autobiographical memory reduces associated distress (Selcuk, Zayas, Gunaydin, Hazan, & Kross, 2012). Furthermore, subliminally presenting attachment representations before encoding of distressing images reduces the occurrence of subsequent intrusive memories (Bryant & Foord, 2016). An outstanding question is whether attachment activation can affect the reconsolidation of aversive memories.…”

What can Counselors do to Lessen the Trauma to the DACA Population Caused by the 2016 Election Cycle Rhetoric?

“…A vast amount of literature suggests that trauma has an impact on cognitive development and the ability to learn (Banyard et al, 2017;Bryant & Foord, 2016;Collins, 2008;Danese & Baldwin, 2017;Font & Berger, 2014;Guliz Mert et al, 2016;Le Dorze & Gisquet-Verrier, 2016;Zeanah & Sonuga-Barke, 2016). Leaders in both the counseling and educational professions have noticed an alarming amount of trauma in children because of election cycle rhetoric (Costello, 2016;Keierleber, 2017).…”