The role of executive function and attachment styles on autobiographical

memories of relationships

Sezin Oner & Sami Gulgoz Koc UniversityIstanbul.Turkey

ESCOP 2013Budapest. Hungary

Attachment theory (Bowlby. 1980)• Internal working models develop from interactions

with “significant others” and form the relational schemas that act as mental codes.

•Attachment-behavioral system: “from the cradle to grave”. ▫Guide individuals’ information-processing and self-

regulation in relational experiences▫An overall self-regulation system involving

cognitive, affective, and behavioral strategies (e.g. Mikulincer & Shaver, 2003; 2007).

Attachment behavior

(By R. Chris Fraley. copied from http://internal.psychology.illinois.edu/~rcfraley/attachment.htm)

Previous evidence •Biased attention towards attachment-related

stimuli

(Edelstein, 2006)

- positive or negative, or both? - specific to attachment-related information? •Suppression of attachment-related information

no longer works under cognitive load – the spill-over effect (or rebound) is observed on automatic or effortful processing. or both? (Mikulincer et al., 20004; Edelstein & Gillath, 2008)

• The way of reflecting on thought processes contributes one to purposefully direct future actions and also make meaning of experiences.

•Considering functions of autobiographical memories (e.g. Bluck & Alea. 2003; Bluck et al.. 2005), metacognitive processes were investigated.

•Metacognitive tendencies (Wells & Cartwright-Hatton, 2004)▫ the need to control thoughts ▫positive beliefs▫cognitive confidence (metamemory) ▫uncontrollability and danger▫cognitive self-consciousness

Current Research

Specific focus on the attachment related mechanisms on the phenomenological

characteristics of autobiographical memories.

Current ResearchGoal:

• to investigate the role of attachment anxiety/attachment avoidance in how we remember relational experiences.

• to test whether metacognitive strategies and executive function are involved in the association between attachment and memory

Current Research▫Attachment anxiety: “hyperactivating” self regulation strategy – underregulation of affect taxing cognitive functioning

High anxiety is associated with higher reliving higher rehearsal higher emotionality

High anxiety is associated with lower performance on executive tasks. specifically affecting the attachment-related information

Particular aspects of metacognition contribute to the effect of attachment variables (especially thought control and uncontrollability)

Current Research▫Attachment avoidance: “deactivating” self regulation strategy – overrregulation of affect. but still taxing cognitive functioning

High avoidance is associated with lower reliving. lower rehearsal. lower emotionality

High avoidance y is associated with lower performance on executive tasks. specifically affecting the attachment-related information

Method•Participants (N = 104) were recruited from

Koc University in exchange for course credit

•Participants were excluded if they▫have not been involved in any romantic

relationship▫did not provide appropriate autobiographical

memory reports▫performed less than 85% accuracy criteria in

AOSPAN

MethodAll the measures were completed online in the lab.

• Experiences in Close Relationships-II (ECR-II)▫Attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance

• Metacognition Questionnaire-30• Demographic information▫Relationship status

Are you currently in a romantic relationship? If yes how long? If no. have you been in any romantic relationship?▫ If yes. how long ago?

Method• Two negative and two positive memories

• Memory Characteristics Questionnaire▫Event qualities at retrieval such as intensity.

vividness. importance. rehearsal.• Emotional Stroop▫ Attachment-related. non-attachment related

positive and negative words. also neutral words in random order.

• Automated Operation Span (AOSPAN)

Sample Overview

•ES and AOSPAN scores were correlated with each other.▫Their association seems to be independent of

attachment variables and any event qualities.

• Step 1: Memory age• Step 2: Relationship Status (Current)• Step 3: Anxiety and Avoidance• Step 4: Metacognitive Strategies ▫ Positive beliefs. Uncontrollability. Thought

Control. Cognitive awareness. Metamemory subscale scores were entered in stepwise regression

Hierarchical regression analyses;

Negative memories▫The model was not significant for only for intentional

remembering

Positive memories▫The effect of relationship status was observed

that memories of current relationships were more likely to be remembered and reexperienced, and rated as more emotionally intense.

Discussion• Individuals with high attachment anxiety tend to

report▫more reliving▫more involuntary remembering▫more voluntary rehearsal

• Individuals with high attachment avoidance tend to report▫ less intense emotions at the time of the event▫ less involuntary remembering▫ less voluntary rehearsal▫attributed less importance to relational experiences

Discussion• Attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance were found

to be associated with how we remember experiences in romantic relationships independent of the passage of time.

• High anxiety : negative memories were perceived as alarm states▫ Increased reliving▫ Increased emotional intensity▫High importance

• Avoidance was more likely to influence positive remembering

• Preventing correective feedback in relatonships▫Not all memory characteristics were influenced!

DiscussionCurrent vs previous relationship• Why only on positive memories?

▫ Current relationship might provide the context, attachment issues are real!▫ Intimacy function (Bluck & Alea, 2010) ▫ More related to current goals (Conway,, Singer, & Tagini, 2004)

Positive vs negative memories• If highly anxious, positive memories were more likely to retrieved,

however, at the time of the retrieval, emotional intensity is independent of anxiety.

• Positive memories, retrieved with blunted affect.• High avoidance, associated with low consequentiality, and emotional

intensity▫ prevents the resolution, or emotional processing of negative events▫ less likely to make meaning of positive experiences.

Discussion•Attachment-related differences were reflected to

metacognitive style. ▫ Involuntary retrieval was differentially associated with

metacognitive tendencies for positive and negative memories

• Thoughts about self-cognitive processes might feedback attachment-based expectations.▫Memory mistrust, feelings of uncontrollability resulted

in more know judgments▫Possible to inhibit effective decision-making

Questions for future research• Attachment styles and future projections▫ linking past to future: moderating role of attachment and

relationship satisfaction on imagining future of the relationship.

• Does reporting order influence the effect of attachment anxiety or/and attachment avoidance?

• Does the emotional state at retrieval elevate/decrease the influence of attachment anxiety vs. attachment avoidance?

• Underlying mechanisms should be defined to explain the the association between executive function. and autobiographical remembering linked to attachment.

Questions & Comments?

For any questions. suggestions.please email to: seoner@ku.edu.tr