Attachment, support seeking, and adaptive inferential feedback: Implications for psychological health

The purpose of this study was to examine differences between attachment groups in support-seeking behavior; ability to benefit from adaptive feedback, a subtype of social support; and identity of preferred supportive figure. Two hundred and sixty-eight undergraduates completed a questionnaire packet containing measures of attachment, depressive symptoms, hopelessness, anxiety, and social support. As expected, securely attached individuals engaged in more support-seeking behavior than people with an avoidant attachment style. Contrary to previous literature, social support benefited people with an avoidant attachment style: adaptive inferential feedback was associated with fewer depressive and anxious symptoms. Furthermore, attachment groups did not differ in the rate at which they turned to primary supporters for guidance. The clinical implications of these findings are discussed.