Attachment and Self-Regulation

Close relationships and self-regulation are inextricably intertwined, yet many of the details regarding how interpersonal processes influence self-regulation are not well understood. To gain a better understanding of this link, we investigated the association between attachment styles and self-regulatory mode orientations. According to regulatory mode theory, locomotors are concerned with initiating goal-directed movement, whereas assessors are concerned with appraising potential means and goals. We predicted that the presence of an attachment figure with whom one has an anxious attachment would be associated with higher assessment tendencies. In addition, we predicted that the presence of an attachment figure with whom one has an avoidant attachment would be associated with lower locomotion tendencies. Five studies (N = 1,434) supported our predictions, and demonstrated that attachment styles and self-regulatory mode orientations covary across interaction partners.