Attachment and inter-individual differences in empathy, compassion, and theory of mind abilities

Publikation: Beitrag in FachzeitschriftForschungsartikelBeigetragenBegutachtung

Beitragende

  • Mathilde Gallistl - , Max-Planck-Institut für Kognitions- und Neurowissenschaften (Autor:in)
  • Melanie Kungl - , Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (Autor:in)
  • Sandra Gabler - , Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (Autor:in)
  • Philipp Kanske - , Professur für Klinische Psychologie und Behaviorale Neurowissenschaft, Technische Universität Dresden (Autor:in)
  • Pascal Vrticka - , Max-Planck-Institut für Kognitions- und Neurowissenschaften, University of Essex (Autor:in)
  • Veronika Engert - , Max-Planck-Institut für Kognitions- und Neurowissenschaften, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, C-I-R-C Center for Intervention and Research on adaptive and maladaptive brain Circuits underlying mental health, Deutsches Zentrum für Psychische Gesundheit (DZPG) (Autor:in)

Abstract

Social processing, namely the ability to understand others’ cognitive and affective states, is crucial for successful social interaction. It encompasses socio-affective abilities such as empathy and compassion, as well as socio-cognitive abilities such as theory of mind (ToM). This study examined the link between social processing and attachment. Our study goes beyond previous research in that social processing abilities were assessed in a single, state-of-the-art behavioral paradigm using video narratives, the EmpaToM. Attachment was captured with the Adult Attachment Interview (N = 85; 50.60% women, Mage = 25.87 ± 4.50 years) measuring participants’ present-day capacity to think about and communicate attachment-relevant information about the past. Additionally, a self-report attachment questionnaire was employed (N = 158). We found that AAI-based attachment security (vs. insecurity) was associated with higher behavioral ToM abilities. Furthermore, self-reported attachment avoidance was negatively correlated with behavioral compassion abilities. Our findings provide further evidence that interview-based and self-reported attachment measures do not converge, but may rather be understood as capturing different facets of attachment that relate to different components of social processing. We conclude that individuals with secure, non-avoidant attachment show social abilities that allow them to better understand others’ thoughts and generate positive, caring emotions in face of others’ distress.

Details

OriginalspracheEnglisch
Seiten (von - bis)350-365
Seitenumfang16
Fachzeitschrift Attachment & human development
Jahrgang26
Ausgabenummer4
PublikationsstatusVeröffentlicht - Aug. 2024
Peer-Review-StatusJa

Externe IDs

PubMed 39007850

Schlagworte

Ziele für nachhaltige Entwicklung

Schlagwörter

  • adult attachment interview, Attachment, compassion, empathy, theory of mind