Personality Psychology

John Bowlby is the person behind the theory of attachment. According to Bowlby, we are all born with innate behaviors that draw us close to our caregivers especially in times of perceived danger. This initial attachment behavior and the response of the caregiver to that behavior latter develop in to a sense of security and insecurity as well as several other personality traits in adults. Therefore, clearly defining one’s attachment styles helps us understand how that person would behave in a given circumstance. The general research question of the article was to investigate whether adult attachment theory explains employee behavior at work. The researchers (David A. Richards and Aaron C.H. Schat) conducted two studies so as to understand the potential correlation between attachment styles and workplace behaviors of employees. The hypothesis of the first study was to apply and validate the measure of adult attachment in romantic relationships as a measure for individual attachment in general. The second study focused on the relationships between dimensions of attachment (avoidance and anxious) and work-related behaviors. In study two, the researchers predicted and tested a series of hypotheses regarding attachment style and work outcomes. Below is the list of these predictions (Richards, D. A., & Schat, A. C. (2011). Attachment at (not to) work: Applying attachment theory to explain individual behavior in organizations. Journal of Applied Psychology, 96(1), 169.) :
1. People with attachment anxiety and avoidance are likely to possess negative affectivity traits.
2. People with attachment anxiety and avoidance are not likely to be emotionally stable.
3. Avoidance attachment individuals suppress their emotions (surface acting)
4. Attachment anxiety will make the individual instrumental (practical) and emotional support seeker, whereas the opposite is true for attachment avoidance.
5. Individuals with attachment anxiety are likely to have counter