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First published March 1994

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The Relationship Between Interpersonal Attachment Styles and Work Difficulties

Gillian E. Hardy and Michael BarkhamView all authors and affiliations

Volume 47, Issue 3

https://doi.org/10.1177/001872679404700302

Abstract
References

Abstract

Hazan and Shaver (1990) have argued that attachment theory can be used to predict relationships between adult attachment types (love) and aspects of work behavior. They found that anxious/ambivalent attachments were associated with poorer work performance. Avoidantly attached individuals tended to be overinvolved with work which resulted in effective work performance but disrupted home life. The present study aimed to develop scales of insecure attachment problems for use with a clinical population and to further replicate Hazan and Shaver's findings. In this context the study also looked at the effects of psychological interventions on attachment difficulties. Using data from 219 depressed clients receiving psychological treatment for stress at work, differences in orientation to work were associated with the two insecure attachment groups as predicted. The anxious/ambivalent scale correlated significantly with reported anxiety about work performance and relationships at work. In contrast, the avoidant scale correlated with concern over hours of work and difficulties in relationships at home and with social life. The study also found that relationship problems associated with insecure attachments were significantly helped by psychological treatments.

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3 The correlations between the 3 1IP factors and PDE scales were as follows: PDE Dependent Scale and 1IP Factor 1, r = .09, ns; HIP Factor 2, r = .55, p < .001; lIP Factor 3, r = .13, ns. PDE Avoidant Scale and 1IP Factor 1, r = .40, p < .001; 1IP Factor 2, r = .28, p < .01; UIP Factor 3, r = .35, p < .001.

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