Motivations for providing a secure base: links with attachment orientation and secure base support behavior

Abstract

This investigation examined the importance of underlying motivations in predicting secure base support behavior, as well as the extent to which support motivations are predicted by individual differences in attachment orientation. Participants were 189 married couples who participated in two laboratory sessions. During a questionnaire session, couples completed assessments of their underlying motivations for providing, and for not providing, support for their partner’s exploration (i.e., goal-strivings), as well as assessments of their typical secure base support behavior. In an observational session, couples engaged in a discussion of one member’s personal goals, during which the partner’s secure base support was assessed. Results revealed a variety of distinct motivations for providing, and for not providing, secure base support to one’s partner, as well as theoretically expected links between these motivations and both secure base behavior and attachment orientation. This work establishes motivations as important mechanisms that underlie the effective or ineffective provision of relational support.

Keywords:

• motivations
• secure base
• caregiving
• social support
• attachment
• exploration
• goals

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by grants from the National Institute of Mental Health (MH066119) and the National Science Foundation (BCS0424579) to the first author. Preparation of this paper was supported by a grant from the John E. Fetzer Institute to the second author.

Notes

1.This investigation was part of a larger investigation of marriage relationships; thus, participants from this sample participated in additional study procedures described elsewhere. The current set of analyses do not overlap with any other published work.

2.A complete copy of the secure base motivation measures can be obtained from the first author ([email protected]).

3.For reward motives, the predicted values were 2.0 for secure support-providers (low anxiety, low avoidance), 3.2 for preoccupied (high anxiety, low avoidance), 2.4 for dismissing (low anxiety, high avoidance), and 2.8 for fearful (high anxiety, high avoidance). For obligation motives, the predicted values were 3.6 for secure, 4.6 for preoccupied, 3.9 for dismissing, and 4.1 for fearful. For needy partner motives, the predicted values were 3.0 for secure, 3.8 for preoccupied, 3.6 for dismissing, and 3.8 for fearful.

4.For no knowledge motives, the predicted values were 2.2 for secure support-recipients (low anxiety, low avoidance), 2.9 for preoccupied (high anxiety, low avoidance), 2.9 for dismissing (low anxiety, high avoidance), and 2.6 for fearful (high anxiety, high avoidance).