Anxious-preoccupied attachment

Anxious-preoccupied attachment is a form of attachment with a strong wish for intimacy, a fear of being ignored, and the constant need for reassurance. Those with anxious-preoccupied attachment tend to be sensitive to emotional cues and external pain. Ainsworth, M. D. S. (1992). A consideration of social referencing in the context of attachment theory and research. In S. Feinman (Ed.), Social referencing and the social construction of reality (pp. 349–367). New York: Plenum.





Causes

Psychologists believe that such attachment is caused by the increased activation of a person's amygdala during social appraisal tasks, making him or her more likely to project his or her "actual self" onto others. 

Research

Research found that younger adults had higher levels of anxious-preoccupied attachment than older adults.

References

Category:Health
Category:Psychiatry
Category:Personality
Category:Psychology
Category:Psychoanalysis