The Relationship Between Attachment Styles and Difficulty in Emotion Regulation: Investigating the Moderating Role of Reflective Functioning

Introduction: While numerous studies have confirmed the relationship between attachment and emotional regulation, there has been limited focus on the mediating factors involved. The term  a new concept in psychoanalysis that refers to psychological processes grounded in mentalization. This concept s...

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Main Authors: Fatemeh Arab Alidoosti, Mahmoud Dehghani, Maryam Roshan, Somayeh Robat Milli
Format: Article
Language:fas
Published: Shahed University 2024-11-01
Series:روانشناسی بالینی و شخصیت
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Online Access:https://cpap.shahed.ac.ir/article_4431_111e1494072cf9e35c8715c9fa17c460.pdf
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author Fatemeh Arab Alidoosti
Mahmoud Dehghani
Maryam Roshan
Somayeh Robat Milli
author_facet Fatemeh Arab Alidoosti
Mahmoud Dehghani
Maryam Roshan
Somayeh Robat Milli
author_sort Fatemeh Arab Alidoosti
collection DOAJ
description Introduction: While numerous studies have confirmed the relationship between attachment and emotional regulation, there has been limited focus on the mediating factors involved. The term  a new concept in psychoanalysis that refers to psychological processes grounded in mentalization. This concept shares common roots with these two constructs and has been examined in the present study. The aim of this study was to investigate the moderating role of reflective functioning in the relationship between attachment styles and difficulties in emotion regulation.Method: The design of this study is non-experimental and correlational. The participants included students from Payam Noor Universities in West Azerbaijan (Miandoab, Shahindej, Bukan, and Urmia) who were enrolled during the academic year 2018-2019. 180 individuals were selected using multi-stage cluster sampling, which involved three stages: the first stage was the university, the second stage was the faculty, and the third stage was the class. These participants completed the Reflective Functioning Questionnaires (RFQ), the Attachment Styles questionnaire (Hazen and Shaver, 1987), and the Difficulty in Emotion Regulation Scale (Gratz, 2004).Results: Hierarchical regression analysis indicated that individuals with a stronger secure attachment style exhibit greater confidence, which in turn facilitates easier emotion regulation. In addition, possessing an avoidant or anxious attachment style, coupled with high levels of uncertainty, complicates the process of emotion regulation.Discussion and Conclusion: The results of the present study indicate that the reflective function of certainty and uncertainty moderates the relationship between attachment styles and difficulties in emotion regulation. Specifically, secure attachment styles, along with the reflective function of certainty, are associated with reduced difficulties in emotion regulation, while insecure attachment styles and the reflective function of uncertainty are linked to increased difficulties in emotion regulation.
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spelling doaj-art-75658e755c0a4c54bbf8450f53ca60512025-01-20T06:47:51ZfasShahed Universityروانشناسی بالینی و شخصیت2345-21882345-47842024-11-0122215716810.22070/cpap.2024.18550.14664431The Relationship Between Attachment Styles and Difficulty in Emotion Regulation: Investigating the Moderating Role of Reflective FunctioningFatemeh Arab Alidoosti0Mahmoud Dehghani1Maryam Roshan2Somayeh Robat Milli3Ph.D student of psychology, Science and Research Unit, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.Assistant Professor, Faculty of Behavioral and Health Sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.Assistant Professor, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Payam Noor University, Tehran, Iran.Assistant Professor of Science and Research Unit, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.Introduction: While numerous studies have confirmed the relationship between attachment and emotional regulation, there has been limited focus on the mediating factors involved. The term  a new concept in psychoanalysis that refers to psychological processes grounded in mentalization. This concept shares common roots with these two constructs and has been examined in the present study. The aim of this study was to investigate the moderating role of reflective functioning in the relationship between attachment styles and difficulties in emotion regulation.Method: The design of this study is non-experimental and correlational. The participants included students from Payam Noor Universities in West Azerbaijan (Miandoab, Shahindej, Bukan, and Urmia) who were enrolled during the academic year 2018-2019. 180 individuals were selected using multi-stage cluster sampling, which involved three stages: the first stage was the university, the second stage was the faculty, and the third stage was the class. These participants completed the Reflective Functioning Questionnaires (RFQ), the Attachment Styles questionnaire (Hazen and Shaver, 1987), and the Difficulty in Emotion Regulation Scale (Gratz, 2004).Results: Hierarchical regression analysis indicated that individuals with a stronger secure attachment style exhibit greater confidence, which in turn facilitates easier emotion regulation. In addition, possessing an avoidant or anxious attachment style, coupled with high levels of uncertainty, complicates the process of emotion regulation.Discussion and Conclusion: The results of the present study indicate that the reflective function of certainty and uncertainty moderates the relationship between attachment styles and difficulties in emotion regulation. Specifically, secure attachment styles, along with the reflective function of certainty, are associated with reduced difficulties in emotion regulation, while insecure attachment styles and the reflective function of uncertainty are linked to increased difficulties in emotion regulation.https://cpap.shahed.ac.ir/article_4431_111e1494072cf9e35c8715c9fa17c460.pdfreflective functionattachment stylesemotion regulation difficultycertaintyuncertainty
spellingShingle Fatemeh Arab Alidoosti
Mahmoud Dehghani
Maryam Roshan
Somayeh Robat Milli
The Relationship Between Attachment Styles and Difficulty in Emotion Regulation: Investigating the Moderating Role of Reflective Functioning
روانشناسی بالینی و شخصیت
reflective function
attachment styles
emotion regulation difficulty
certainty
uncertainty
title The Relationship Between Attachment Styles and Difficulty in Emotion Regulation: Investigating the Moderating Role of Reflective Functioning
title_full The Relationship Between Attachment Styles and Difficulty in Emotion Regulation: Investigating the Moderating Role of Reflective Functioning
title_fullStr The Relationship Between Attachment Styles and Difficulty in Emotion Regulation: Investigating the Moderating Role of Reflective Functioning
title_full_unstemmed The Relationship Between Attachment Styles and Difficulty in Emotion Regulation: Investigating the Moderating Role of Reflective Functioning
title_short The Relationship Between Attachment Styles and Difficulty in Emotion Regulation: Investigating the Moderating Role of Reflective Functioning
title_sort relationship between attachment styles and difficulty in emotion regulation investigating the moderating role of reflective functioning
topic reflective function
attachment styles
emotion regulation difficulty
certainty
uncertainty
url https://cpap.shahed.ac.ir/article_4431_111e1494072cf9e35c8715c9fa17c460.pdf
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