Does secure base activation buffer against loneliness in times of social restrictions?

Piepers, Lea (2023) Does secure base activation buffer against loneliness in times of social restrictions? Master thesis, Psychology.

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Abstract

Attachment theory suggests that having a secure base is at the core of successful relationships: It allows us to explore the world confidently, and to refer back to it in times of trouble, as to buffer against negative experiences. Nevertheless, the psychology of a secure base still needs to be explored further to understand how it works scientifically and how we can use it in practice. In this thesis, we examined (1) the relationship between (experimentally manipulated) secure base activation and its hypothesized buffering effect on loneliness in the context of the pandemic lockdown periods. We were further interested in (2) exploring relevant moderators that affect the need for a secure base (i.e., attachment insecurity) and hence would influence the relationship between secure base activation and loneliness. Results showed no significant effect of the manipulation on loneliness. However, attachment insecurity significantly moderated the relationship between the manipulation and loneliness, such that those with a higher attachment insecurity (and hence a higher need for a secure base) reported less loneliness after secure base activation. We discuss the implications of these findings and address directions for future research. Keywords: Loneliness, Secure Base, Attachment Insecurity

Item Type:	Thesis (Master)
Supervisor name:	Zomeren, M. van
Degree programme:	Psychology
Differentiation route:	Applied Social Psychology (ASP) [Master Psychology]
Date Deposited:	28 Sep 2023 13:45
Last Modified:	28 Sep 2023 13:45
URI:	http://gmwpublic.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/2895

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