The Use of Material Objects as a Secure Base

Attachment theory proposes that people form and maintain close interpersonal relationships in part because they provide a secure base for personal growth. Emerging evidence expands on this insight by showing that people sometimes seek (and find) this secure base in non-human sources (e.g., pets), particularly under conditions of threatened or absent social connection. The current research presents the first evidence that material objects can serve as a secure base, increasing felt security and the willingness to explore. Priming a valued object prevented a loss of exploration intentions following threat (Study 1). Consistent with prior research, objects effectively bolstered security and exploration particularly when uncertainty about social support was dispositionally high (Study 2) and experimentally increased (Studies 3 & 4). Study 5 showed that, in the wake of support uncertainty, an object increased exploration only if participants appraised that object as dependable--a defining characteristic of a human secure base.

Grantor dc:publisher

University of Kansas

Year dc:date.issued

2014

Author dc:creator

• Keefer, Lucas Allen

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Landau, Mark J

• Social psychology
• Experimental psychology
• Attachment
• Materialism
• Personal Growth
• Social Support
• Uncertainty

Statement dc:rights

• This item is protected by copyright and unless otherwise specified the copyright of this thesis/dissertation is held by the author.

Language dc:language.iso

en

Dc Identifier Other

http://dissertations.umi.com/ku:13578

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:kuscholarworks.ku.edu:1808/16850