Love and work: An attachment-theoretical perspective
These studies investigated the theory that, “adult work activity can be viewed as functionally parallel to what Bowlby calls exploration: For adults, work … is a major source of actual and perceived competence. “ (p. 271). As adult romantic relationships provided the secure base and safe haven aspects of infant attachment, work could povide the opportunity for exploration. If this is true, working characteristics should correlate with attachment style.
For study 1, subjects were repondents (N=670, 143 male, 522 female, mean age = 39) to a questionairre printed in a local newspaper. Measures used were a modified version of the 1987 single-item measure (see below) followed by a list of 21 items adapted from existing literature on work satisfaction and finally a leisure questionairre. Study 2 was a follow up on subjects from the first study (N=260) containing a more detailed love and work questionairre.
| |
Secure |
Avoidant |
Anxious/Ambivalent |
Proportions
(single-item measure) |
50% |
30% |
19% |
Study 1
Work Satisfaction
(self-report) |
Satisfied with job security, levels of learning at work, opportunities for challence and advancement. Felt they were good workers and would be evaluated highly by co-workers. |
Gave themselves lower ratings on job performance and expected low ratings from co-workers. |
Expected to be undervalued by co-workers. |
Study 1
Leisure Time
(Self-report) |
n/s |
Least likely to spend leisure time socializing or gaining new knowledge. |
Most likely to report leisure as opportunity for excitement. Most likely to go shopping (immediate self gratification). |
Study 2
Work Attitudes
(Self-report)
|
Positive approach to work. Least likely to put off work, fail to complete tasks or fear failure or rejection by coworkers. Enjoy vacations and do not let work jeapordize their health. |
Most likely to feel nervous when not working and to permit work to interfere with health and relationshiups. Prefer to work alone. |
Preferred to work with others. Felt misunderstood and underappreciated. Were motivated by approval and most worried about rejection. Inerpersonal concerns interfered with productivity. |
Adapted from Hazan and Shaver, 1990 |
Results on the work satisfaction questionairre were generally in line with expectations but effects were generally small. Anxous/ambivalent subjects reported lower incomes (independent of gender) than the other two groups.
Few gender differences were observed except men were more likely to have had a crush on a fellow worker and to have suffered work related arguments with partners whereas women were likely to have lower salaries and levels of education.
A discriminant analysis was performed to try to establish two dimensions for attachment. The best fit analysis resulted in only 59.6% correct classification.
For this study, Hazan and Shaver modified their Adult Attachment Questionnaire to bring about clearer differentiation between styles and remove the emphasis on romantic relationships. This involved changing the wordings a little. They acknowledge the work of other researchers into measures of attachment (Levy & Davis, 1988; Collins & Read, 1990) and agree that this measure needs further elaboration, despite that fact that it produces clear and consistent results