Search results for ‘Subject term:"eating disorders"’ Sort:
Results 1 - 1 of 1
Autonomic correlates of attachment insecurity in a sample of women with eating disorders
- Authors:
- DIAS Pedro, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Attachment and Human Development, 13(2), March 2011, pp.155-167.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
This study aimed to extend research on the associations between attachment insecurity and autonomic response by examining the autonomic correlates of attachment in a group of eating disorder patients. The research also tested a new multimedia system that allowed synchronous collection and analysis of biological and audio-visual signals during the AAI - the Bio Dual-channel and Representation of Attachment Multimedia System (BioDReAMS). Participants included 47 women, aged 15 to 36, receiving outpatient treatment in several psychiatric units in northern Portugal, who responded to the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI). The tested their developmental history with their attachment figures. Insecurity was positively correlated with electrodermal reactivity during the AAI. Also, relatively secure patients showed some evidence of parasympathetic withdrawal, which is conceptualised as evidence of more effective emotion regulation. Results suggest that, even among women with diagnosed psychopathology, security is associated with more productive patterns of psychophysiological response to attachment-related challenges. With respect to BioDReAMS, the findings were consistent with other methodologies in the literature.