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. 2019 Apr 5:10:684.
doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00684. eCollection 2019.

Effects of Non-verbal Priming on Attachment-Style Activation

Suhyung Sim  1 , Ji-Eun Shin  2 , Young Woo Sohn  1
Affiliations

Effects of Non-verbal Priming on Attachment-Style Activation

Suhyung Sim et al. Front Psychol. .

Abstract

Using an affective priming procedure, two experiments examined the effects of non-verbal cues on activating attachment styles. In Study 1, the secure attachment group, which was primed non-verbally, showed higher levels of self-esteem, interpersonal competence, and positive affect than the insecure attachment group, which was also primed non-verbally. In contrast, no significant difference was found between the two attachment groups that were primed verbally. In Study 2, using a different priming method and adding a neutral group, similar interactions between priming modality (non-verbal or verbal cues) and attachment styles were found: the differences in self-esteem, interpersonal competence, and positive affect between the secure attachment group, neutral group, and insecure attachment group were greater when primed non-verbally than when primed verbally. Finally, the limitations of the research and recommendations for follow-up study are discussed.

Keywords: affective priming; attachment style; interpersonal competency; non-verbal cues; positive affect; self-esteem.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Mean scores of (A) self-esteem, (B) interpersonal competency, and (C) positive affect against priming modality and primed attachment style (Study 1).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Mean scores of (A) self-esteem, (B) interpersonal competency, and (C) positive affect against priming modality and primed attachment style (Study 2).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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