Differences in one's Own and one's Partner's Perceptions of Social Skills as a Function of Attachment Style

Differences in One's Own and One's Partner's Perceptions of Social Skills as a Function of Attachment Style

Researchers / Experimenters: Laura K. Guerrero and Susanne M. Jones

Goal or Purpose of the Study: To extend research and theory on the relations between

attachment style and social skill

To gain a clearer picture of how the intersection of

models of self and others associates with different social

skills by testing for attachment-style differences across

Bartholomew's four-category conceptualization of

attachment

Guide Questions: Are there differences in attachment style that relate to how people

recognize their own social skills, specifically in emotional

expressivity, emotional control, emotional sensitivity, social

expressivity, social control, and social sensitivity?

Do people recognize their partners' social skills (emotional expressivity, emotional control, emotional sensitivity, social expressivity, social control, and social sensitivity) differently as a function of their partners' self-reported attachment styles?

Theories or Models:

ATTACHMENT THEORY

Attachment theory provides a useful framework for studying differences in social skills. This theory states that people develop different attachment styles as a result of interactions with significant others, beginning with their interactions with a primary giver which was said to be the parents of a certain child (Bowlby, 1969).

Attachment styles are modes of social interaction that reflect how people view themselves and others (Bartholomew, 1990). Bartholomew's (1990, 1993) conceptualization of attachment style entails crossing two theoretically-derived dimensions: a mental mode of self (based on whether a person has an internalized sense of self-worth) and a mental model of others (based on whether a person sees involvement with others to be rewarding). When these dimensions are crossed, four unique attachment styles emerge: secure (positive models of both self and others), dismissive (positive model of self, negative of others), fearful (negative models of both self and others), and preoccupied (negative model of self, positive model of others).

Secure individuals are confident that others will like and accept them. They are also comfortable with closeness and experience relatively few interpersonal problems. Dismissive individuals are confident and self-sufficient, but to the point that they often reject interaction with others, and see relationships as both unrewarding and unnecessary. These individuals usually place a premium on activities related to work or self-fulfillment rather than on close relationships with others. In contrast, fearful individuals would like to have close relationships with others, but they worry that they will be rejected or hurt. These individuals generally have low self-esteem and experience considerable social anxiety when interacting with others. Finally, preoccupied individuals have particularly pronounced needs for external validation; they want others to like them but often think that partners do not reciprocate their feelings sufficiently. Thus, these individuals worry a lot about the well-being of their relationships (Bartholomew, 1990, 1993; Feeney, Noller, & Hanrahan, 1994; Guerrero, 1996).

SOCIAL SKILLS

Based on how models of self and others combine, it is likely that people with different attachment styles see themselves as possessing various levels and types of social skills. Riggio (1086, 1993) developed one of the most comprehensive measures of social skill to date. His inventory focuses on the nonverbal and verbal manifestations of three general skills related to expressivity, control, and sensitivity. All these three have two classifications, namely emotional and social.

Emotional expressivity is the ability to express emotion spontaneously and accurately, primarily through the use of nonverbal communication while social expressivity is the skill in verbal speaking and engaging others in social interaction.

Emotional control is the nonverbal skill of regulating affect by appearing to be indifferent, by covering up a felt emotion with a different (perhaps more appropriate) emotion, or by de-intensifying emotion. Social control, in contrast, is the regulation of verbal performance, including the ability to manage impressions, assume different social roles, and take on leadership positions ( Riggio, 1986, 1993).

Emotional sensitivity refers to skill in recognizing and responding to the emotional states of others. Social sensitivity, on the other hand, is the ability to decode and interpret verbal messages regarding what others are thinking and feeling (Riggio, 1986, 1993). It also reflects the degree to which a person is motivated to avoid criticism from others. Too much of this "skill" may actually reflect a strong need for external validation (Guerrero & Reiter, 1998).

HYPOTHESIS

Perceptions of social skills differ as a function of attachment style and the intersection of models of self and others defines the four styles.

SHORT SUMMARY OF THE STUDY

This study is composed of two studies contrasting the four attachment styles on the six social skills in Riggio's (1986, 1993) inventory. Study 1 involved using self-reports while Study 2 examined whether people's perceptions of partners' social skills differ as a function of the partner's self-reported attachment style.

Under Study 1, the respondents were undergraduate students (female n=148; male n=88) enrolled in introductory psychology courses. The students were asked to: "report some of your general attitudes toward yourself and other people, as well as your attitudes toward communicating with others." About half of these participants were currently in serious dating relationships. They completed a 32-item attachment dimension scale that was a revised version of Guerrero's (1996, 1998) measure. Data from two of the subscales from this measure - avoidance