Conferring humanness: The role of anthropomorphism in hoarding

Timpano, Kiara R.; Shaw, Ashley M.

doi:10.1016/j.paid.2012.10.007

Cited by 71 publications

(55 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…This is in support of previous studies (Frost & Gross, 1993;Grisham et al, 2009;Nedelisky & Steele, 2009) and serves to further highlight the importance of attachment to objects as a pre-dispositional factor of hoarding. Frost & Hartl (1996) suggested that hoarders may have a high propensity to anthropomorphise their possessions, a suggestion confirmed by Timpano & Shaw (2013) and Neave et al, (2015). However, while we found positive associations between hoarding and anthropomorphism, the regression analyses did not find anthropomorphising to be a significant predictor, contrary to our previous finding (Neave et al, 2015).…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 90%

“…There were also strong positive relationships between object attachment and hoarding severity and behaviours, again confirming previous research in clinical samples (Grisham et al, 2009;Nedelisky & Steele, 2009). Finally, those scoring highly in anthropomorphism showed greater hoarding severity and behaviours, once more in accord with previous findings in nonclinical samples (Neave et al, 2015;Timpano & Shaw, 2013). In short, participants who displayed strong attachments to inanimate objects, displayed an adult attachment style high in anxiety and avoidance, and who scored high on anthropomorphism, displayed greater hoarding behaviours and cognitions.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

“…Hoarding severity has been associated with emotional attachments and feelings of responsibility to inanimate objects (Frost & Gross, 1993;Frost et al, 1995;Grisham et al, 2009;Nedelisky & Steele, 2009) and the tendency for hoarders to anthropomorphise their possessions (Frost & Hartl, 1996;Neave et al, 2015;Timpano & Shaw, 2013). It has been speculated that attachment theory could provide a useful means of exploring such connections, as individuals who are insecurely attached to significant adult others, may develop anxiety in human relationships and seek security in inanimate objects (Nedelisky & Steele, 2009).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Defined as the tendency to attribute human characteristics and mental states to a non-human target (Epley, Waytz & Cacioppo, 2007), anthropomorphism has been strongly associated with Frost and Hartl's (1996) cognitive-behavioural model of hoarding. Timpano and Shaw (2013) revealed that anthropomorphic tendencies were significantly associated with greater hoarding symptoms, with anthropomorphic tendency scores most strongly associated with emotional attachment, as a measure of hoarding cognitions. Neave, Jackson, Saxton & Hönekopp (2015) also demonstrated that anthropomorphising was a significant predictor of hoarding behaviours in a non-clinical sample.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 95%

See 3 more Smart Citations

The role of attachment style and anthropomorphism in predicting hoarding behaviours in a non-clinical sample

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Personality and Individual Differences

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Northumbria University has developed Northumbria Research Link (NRL) to enable users to access the University's research output. Copyright © and moral rights for items on NRL are retained by the individual author(s) and/or other copyright owners. Single copies of full items can be reproduced, displayed or performed, and given to third parties in any format or medium for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-profit purposes without prior permission or charge, provided the authors, title and full bibliographic details are given, as well as a hyperlink and/or URL to the original metadata page. The content must not be changed in any way. Full items must not be sold commercially in any format or medium without formal permission of the copyright holder. The full policy is available online: http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/policies.html This document may differ from the final, published version of the research and has been made available online in accordance with publisher policies. To read and/or cite from the published version of the research, please visit the publisher's website (a subscription may be required.)The role of attachment style and anthropomorphism in predicting hoarding behaviours in a non-clinical sample. AbstractHoarding behaviours are characterised by the acquisition of and failure to discard possessions which leads to excessive and often dangerous clutter and significant psychological/emotional distress. The cognitive behavioural-model posits that a key aspect in the expression of hoarding tendencies is an excessive attachment to objects. Research indicates that attachment style and anthropomorphic tendencies are associated with excessive object attachment and subsequent hoarding. In this study, a non-clinical sample of 283 participants (210 female) completed questionnaires measuring adult attachment styles, attachment to objects, anthropomorphic tendencies, and hoarding severity and behaviours. Females displayed significantly higher scores on hoarding severity, anxious and avoidant attachments, and on anthropomorphism. Strong positive correlations were found between measures of inanimate object attachment, adult attachment style, and anthropomorphism, with hoarding behaviours and cognitions. Subsequent regression analyses revealed that one measure of adult attachment (degree of anxious attachment) and object attachment were significant predictors of hoarding behaviours and cognitions.

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