Insecure attachment as a factor in hoarding behaviors in a non-clinical sample of women

Abstract

Hoarding is linked to ambivalence and uncertainty about one's self and others. These notions are close to those constituting attachment representations. Hoarding is also linked to seeking support from objects. Studies concerning attachment and hoarding suggest that attachment representations may impact seeking or possessing objects. Acquiring objects may give people momentary support, normally provided by the attachment figure in cases of stress. This study aims to better understand the links between attachment and hoarding. One hundred and ninety-seven non-clinical women (M = 30.58) completed two self-report questionnaires on attachment and hoarding behaviors. The results show a link between insecure attachment (preoccupied and fearful) and hoarding. Preoccupied and fearful attachments are characterized by a fear of loss and abandonment. Possession and accumulation of objects in hoarding could help insecure people to deal with these fears. Therefore, insecure attachment appears to be a vulnerability factor in the development of hoarding behaviors.

Keywords: Attachment; Hoarding; Insecurity; Model of Self; OCD; Obsessive-compulsive disorders.