Formation of attachment to possessions in compulsive hoarding

Grisham, Jessica R.; Frost, Randy O.; Steketee, Gail; Kim, Hyojin; Tarkoff, Anna; Hood, Sarah K.

doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2008.12.006

Cited by 71 publications

(43 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…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%

“…Additionally, in a sample of community volunteers and college students, Frost, et al, (1995) found ratings of hoarding severity to be significantly associated with greater emotional attachment to objects. Initial object attachment was the best indicator of subsequent attachments, and acquisitional behaviours, and greater levels of hoarding beliefs related to possessions providing emotional comfort, were uniquely predictive of the initial baseline attachment (Grisham et al, 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 90%

“…Subsequent research has identified a number of sub-factors associated with the prediction of hoarding tendencies such as perfectionism (Frost & Gross, 1993); intolerance of uncertainty (Luchian, McNally & Hooley, 2007); low self-control (Timpano & Schmidt, 2010); and anxiety sensitivity (Reid, Arnold, Rosen, et al, 2011). However, the aspect which has arguably accumulated the strongest supporting evidence is the tendency to exhibit excessive attachments to objects (Frost & Gross, 1993;Frost & Hartl, 1996;Grisham, Frost, Steketee, et al, 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Hoarders often report feeling intense anxiety and discomfort when a stranger touches their belongings, describing this as feeling as if they have lost control over their environment (Frost, Hartl, Christian & Williams, 1995;Grisham et al, 2009). Furthermore, Frost and Gross (1993) report that participants self-identifying as hoarders demonstrated higher levels of object attachment than non-hoarders.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The aim of this current study was thus to investigate the roles of attachment styles, attachment to objects, and anthropomorphism in predicting hoarding tendencies in a non-clinical population. As research has revealed sex differences in hoarding behaviours (Grisham et al, 2009;Hartl, Frost, Allen, Deckersbach, Steketee, Duffany et al, 2004), anthropomorphism (Neave et al, 2015) and in attachment styles (Del Giudice, 2011), the sample comprised males and females.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Neave

Tyson

McInnes

et al. 2016

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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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 90%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

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

Neave

Tyson

McInnes

et al. 2016

Personality and Individual Differences

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“It's not yours. It's mine”: A qualitative study exploring the experience of hoarding

Mulligan‐Rabbitt

O’Connor

Brien

2023

Appl Psychoanal Studies

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Our understanding of the meaning of hoarding is still in development. Thematic readings of the literature suggest that hoarding involves a very distinctive way of understanding the world, with the act of acquiring and retaining of material comprising in a form of psychological home or safe space. The connection of the person to their hoard requires further exploration, as does the place that this relationship has with the wider world of society and culture. This study sought to investigate experiences of persons who hoard and their relationship to their hoarded material. A phenomenologically‐oriented qualitative research design was used to investigate 14 participants' experiences of hoarding. Analysis of transcripts was conducted using thematic moment by moment analysis consistent with the phenomenological approach. To give further clarification and elucidation to the meaning of hoarding a psychoanalytically informed analysis of the material was included. Three themes emerged from this process: Firstly, “It's not yours. It's mine”; secondly, “Keeping within the walls”; and thirdly, “Sorting through.” The emergent themes reflect the creative and inventive ways participants related to hoarded material. Themes are discussed in relation to relevant psychoanalytical concepts, including Winnicott's Transitional Objects, with difficulties observed in hoarding paralleling difficulties transitioning out into the world of relating, as well as the part that cultural unconscious processes play here. Aspects of Bion's container‐contained function are also discussed. Implications for future research and working clinically with people who hoard are discussed, particularly the handling of hoarded material.

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A critical review of cognitive behavioural therapy for hoarding disorder: How can we improve outcomes?

David

Crone

Norberg

2021

Clin Psychology and Psychoth

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Psychological treatment for hoarding problems has historically been associated with poor outcomes. When treated as a subgroup of obsessive-compulsive disorder, individuals with hoarding beliefs were less likely to respond to treatment than individuals exhibiting other obsessive-compulsive beliefs and behaviours. When treated as its own disorder using cognitive behavioural therapy, individuals report approximately 25% improvement in symptoms on average. However, less than a third of people experience clinically meaningful change. Further, changes in functioning and quality of life are not routinely assessed. In this paper, we review the current conceptualization and treatment of hoarding problems to shed light on how treatment for hoarding disorder may be improved. Utilizing a harm reduction approach before administering treatment may be important to ensure the safety of individuals. Research should test whether treatment outcomes improve by including strategies that enhance a client's interpersonal functioning and ability to regulate emotions (i.e., based on dialectal behaviour therapy and mentalization-based treatments), especially while discarding and organizing belongings. We should also use modern learning theory to improve the delivery of exposure activities.

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Formation of attachment to possessions in compulsive hoarding

Cited by 71 publications

References 21 publications

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

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

“It's not yours. It's mine”: A qualitative study exploring the experience of hoarding

A critical review of cognitive behavioural therapy for hoarding disorder: How can we improve outcomes?

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