Attachment Theory and Concern for Others'Welfare: Evidence That Activation of the Sense of Secure Base Promotes Endorsement of Self-Transcendence Values
Basic and Applied Social Psychology December 1, 2003 Mario Mikulincer, Omri Gillath, Yael Sapir-Lavid et al. 216 citations
Three experiments with Israeli undergraduates examined how feeling secure—either through recalling supportive memories or viewing pictures of caring others—influences the importance placed on values like benevolence and universalism. Participants who were primed with a sense of security, as well as those with naturally lower attachment avoidance, rated these self-transcendence values as more important. These effects were not due to mood. The findings suggest that a sense of secure attachment enhances concern for others and shapes value priorities.