Attachment, Social Network Size, and Patterns of Social Exchange in Later Life

Fiori, Katherine L.; Consedine, Nathan S.; Merz, Eva-Maria

doi:10.1177/0164027511401038

Cited by 45 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 66 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…However, when in the presence of a supportive figure, the association between low childhood SES and high physiological reactivity was attenuated. This is important given that insecure attachment orientations are associated with smaller social network sizes and less relationship reciprocity than attachment security (90). Therefore, present study findings may relate to the degree to which individuals experience social support.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Attachment Orientations, Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia, and Stress Are Important for Understanding the Link Between Childhood Socioeconomic Status and Adult Self-Reported Health

Murdock

Fagundes

2016

ann. behav. med.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background Low childhood SES is reliably associated with poor adult health. Social environments early in life and physiological stress responses are theorized to underlie this link; however, the role of attachment orientations is relatively unknown. Purpose In this study, we examined whether attachment orientations (i.e., attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance) and self-reported stress were mediators of the association between childhood SES and self-reported health in adulthood. Furthermore, we examined whether parasympathetic nervous system functioning was a moderator of associations between attachment orientations and self-reported stress. Methods Participants (N = 213) provided self-reports of childhood SES, attachment orientations, stress, and self-rated health. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) was measured at rest, as well as during an acute social stressor. Results Low childhood SES was associated with poor self-reported health via the serial pathway from attachment anxiety to general stress. Moreover, attachment avoidance was associated with self-reported health via general stress, but only among those with high stress-induced RSA. Findings were independent of participant age, sex, race, body mass index, baseline RSA, and adult SES. Conclusions Attachment theory is useful for understanding why those from low SES backgrounds are at greater risk of negative health outcomes in adulthood. Findings extend our knowledge of how interpersonal relationships in childhood can shape emotional and physical health outcomes in adulthood.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Attachment Orientations, Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia, and Stress Are Important for Understanding the Link Between Childhood Socioeconomic Status and Adult Self-Reported Health

Murdock

Fagundes

2016

ann. behav. med.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…These representations are thought to guide people in establishing close relationships throughout life (Fiori, Consedine, & Merz, 2011;Merz & Consedine, 2009). Research on childhood (e.g., Raikes & Thompson, 2008) and adolescence (e.g., Willemen, Schuengel, & Koot, 2009) clearly supports this supposition but less is known about aspects of close relationships and their origin in adulthood and older age (Merz, Schuengel, & Schulze, 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The long reach of childhood. Childhood experiences influence close relationships and loneliness across life

Merz

Jak

2013

Advances in Life Course Research

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This paper intends to gain insight into the role of childhood relationships and experiences within the parental home for the formation and meaning of later family relationships and loneliness. Particularly, childhood attachment to mother and father and stressful childhood experiences were studied in their association with satisfaction in the romantic relationship, the quality of adult family ties and the perceived quality of the social network, i.e. loneliness in adulthood. Based on data from the Netherlands Kinship Panel Study (N = 3,980) structural equation models were estimated to predict adult relationships and loneliness with childhood experiences. Positive attachment experiences with parents, such as reliability, closeness and supportiveness during childhood were associated with greater satisfaction in the romantic relationship, stronger family ties and higher quality in the social network, i.e. less loneliness, whereas stressful childhood experiences, such as conflicts and violence negatively predicted the quality of adult relationships. Life span theoretical perspectives, such as attachment theory are discussed as useful unifying framework to study social relationships, their interconnectedness and association with outcome during all phases of life.The long reach of childhood 3

show abstract

“…For example, avoidant individuals tend to have smaller social networks (Fiori, Consedine, & Merz, 2011), suggesting that they might be more likely to live alone or live in smaller households on average. Further, avoidant individuals are less likely to engage in committed relationships, preferring more casual, distant relationships (Schindler, Fagundes, & Murdock, 2010).…”

Section: Geographic Variation In Attachment and Relational Behaviormentioning

confidence: 99%

Is Virginia for lovers? Geographic variation in adult attachment orientation

Chopik

Motyl

2017

Journal of Research in Personality

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

People often use relationships to characterize and describe places. Yet, little research examines whether people's relationships and relational style vary across geography. The current study examined geographic variation in adult attachment orientation in a sample of 127,070 adults from the 50 United States. The states that were highest in attachment anxiety tended to be in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast region of the United States. The states that were highest in attachment avoidance tended to be in the frontier region of the United States. State-level avoidance was related to state-level indicators of relationship status, social networks, and volunteering behavior. The findings are discussed in the context of the mechanisms that may give rise to regional variation in relational behavior. Abstract word count: 118

show abstract

Attachment, Social Network Size, and Patterns of Social Exchange in Later Life

Cited by 45 publications

References 66 publications

Attachment Orientations, Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia, and Stress Are Important for Understanding the Link Between Childhood Socioeconomic Status and Adult Self-Reported Health

Attachment Orientations, Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia, and Stress Are Important for Understanding the Link Between Childhood Socioeconomic Status and Adult Self-Reported Health

The long reach of childhood. Childhood experiences influence close relationships and loneliness across life

Is Virginia for lovers? Geographic variation in adult attachment orientation

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About