Cultivating Attachment: The Associations Among Past Television Exposure, Transportability, Self-Efficacy, and Attachment

ABSTRACT

Using cultivation and attachment theories as the theoretical frameworks, this study examined two potential mediators in the associations between past television exposure and adult romantic attachment: romantic self-efficacy and transportability. The resulting analyses shed light on how television exposure during childhood and adolescence may have long-term impacts on adult attachment dimensions (i.e., attachment anxiety and avoidance). Findings indicate higher past overall and genre-specific television exposure directly and indirectly promotes higher attachment anxiety above the influence of parent and peer attachment; however, the direct and indirect relationships between past overall and genre-specific television exposure and attachment avoidance are more complex. These patterns of findings contribute to the body of literature on both attachment theory and cultivation analysis.

KEYWORDS:

• Attachment theory
• cultivation theory
• transportability
• self-efficacy
• structural equation model

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. Nonsignificant results are available upon request.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jenna McNallie

Jenna McNallie (PhD, Purdue University) is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Studies, Film, and New Media at Augsburg University. Her research is situated at the intersections of interpersonal and mass communication, and focuses on the role of media in the formation of relationship beliefs and expectations.