Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

This article describes research that investigates the relationship between life positions (Berne, 1962) and the attachment prototypes of Bartholomew and Horowitz (1991). These two constructs were perceived by the authors to have a one-to-one correspondence. “I'm OK, You're OK” (I+U+) was hypothesized to be correlated with secure attachment; “I'm Not OK, You're OK” (I-U+) with preoccupied attachment; “I'm OK, You're Not OK” (I+U-) with the dismissing attachment prototype; and “I'm Not OK, You're Not OK” (I-U-) with fearful attachment. The results of a canonical correlation analysis yielded R = .59, χ² = 92.92 (df = 16), p < .01, showing a reliable relationship between the two major constructs under investigation. The squared canonical R was .348. This indicates that almost 35% of the variation is shared by life positions and attachment. At a specific level, secure attachment positively correlated with I+U+, r = .44, p < .05. Dismissing attachment correlated reliably with the parallel life position, I+U-, r = .20, p < .05, while the fearful attachment also correlated well with I-U-, r = .40, p < .05. Preoccupied attachment did not correlate with its conceptual parallel, I-U+, r = .05, p > .05; this is the only hypothesis that was not supported. The conceptual parallelism between the two constructs is argued, although their theoretical differences are also recognized.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Ainsworth

M. S.

, Blehar

M. C.

, Waters

, & Wall

(1978). Patterns of attachment: A psychological study of the strange situation. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Bartholomew

(2002). Self report measures of adult attachment. Retrieved 28 February 2005, from http://www.sfu.ca/psyc/faculty/bartholomew/research/attachment/selfreports.htm.

Bartholomew

, & Horowitz

(1991). Attachment styles among young adults: A test of a four-category model. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 7, 147–178.

Berne

(1962). Classification of positions. Transactional Analysis Bulletin, 1(3), 23.

Berne

(1972). What do you say after you say hello?: The psychology of human destiny. New York: Grove Press.

Boholst

F. A.

(2002). A life position scale. Transactional Analysis Journal, 32, 28–32.

Boholst

F. A.

(2003). The influence of scripts and life positions on psychopathology and positive mental health: A structural equation modeling. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Ateneo de Manila University, Quezon City, Philippines.

Bowlby

(1969). Attachment: Vol. 1 of Attachment and loss. New York: Basic Books.

Bowlby

(1973). Separation: Anxiety and anger: Vol. 2 of Attachment and loss. New York: Basic Books.

10.

Bowlby

(1980). Loss: Sadness and depression: Vol. 3 of Attachment and loss. New York: Basic Books.

11.

Griffin

D. W.

, & Bartholomew

(1994). Models of the self and other: Fundamental dimensions underlying measures of adult attachment. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 67, 430–445.

12.

Hair

J. F.

, Anderson

R. E.

, Tatham

R. L.

, & Black

W. C.

(1995). Multivariate data analysis with readings. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

13.

Hazan

, & Shaver

(1987). Romantic love conceptualized as an attachment process. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 52, 511–524.

14.

Levy

K. N.

, Blatt

S. J.

, & Shaver

P. R.

(1998). Attachment styles and parental representations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 74 (2), 407–419.

15.

Main

, Kaplan

, & Cassidy

(1985). Security in infancy, childhood, and adulthood: A move to the level of representation. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 50(1 & 2, Serial No. 209), 66–104.

16.

Simpson

J. A.

(1990). Influence of attachment styles on romantic relationships. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 59, 971–980.

Life Positions and Attachment Styles: A Canonical Correlation Analysis

Abstract

Get full access to this article

References