Exploring the Associations between Adult Attachment Security and Self-actualization and Self-transcendence
Self and Identity April 30, 2012 Lorna J. Otway, Katherine B. Carnelley 82 citations
Insecure attachment styles—avoidance and anxiety—are linked to lower levels of self-actualization and personal growth. A survey of 130 undergraduates found that attachment avoidance predicted less self-transcendence, while both avoidance and anxiety predicted lower self-actualization and actualization of potential. Low self-liking partly explained the link between attachment anxiety and reduced self-actualization, and low self-liking and self-competence partly explained the link between attachment avoidance and reduced self-actualization. Self-competence also mediated the relationship between attachment anxiety and actualization of potential. The findings suggest that attachment theory and Maslow's hierarchy of needs can be integrated to understand personality development.