The Relationship Between Attachment Dimensions and Perceptions of Group Relationships Over Time: An Actor–Partner Interdependence Analysis

Abstract

A group member’s attachment, anxiety, and avoidance is related to how the group member and the other group members (OGMs) perceive group relationships. In addition, the collective attachment strategies of the OGMs may also be related to how the individual group member and the others perceive the relationships in the group. We extend previous research, using the actor partner interdependence model (APIM), to examine how group members’ and aggregated OGMs’ attachment anxiety and avoid- ance were related to group members’ and OGMs perceptions of positive bonding, positive working, and negative relationships measured early and late in interpersonal growth groups. Three hundred twenty-five Italian graduate students were randomly assigned to 1 of 16 interpersonal growth groups that met for 9 weeks with experienced psychologists. Attachment anxiety and avoidance was assessed with the Attachment Style Questionnaire (ASQ) and the third and eighth session ratings of group relationships were assessed with the Group Questionnaire (GQ). For group members, the relationships between attachment and group relationships were stable across time; for OGMs the relation- ship between attachment and group relationships only emerged late in the group. Group member’s and OGMs attachment anxiety was positively related to positive bonding or working relationships and attachment avoidance was negatively related to positive bonding or working relationships for both group member’s and OGMs’ perceptions of group relationships. The implication of these findings for group composition is discussed.