The mediator role of the cognitive features in the relationship between adult attachment patterns and psychopathology symptoms: the locus of control and repetitive thinking.

OBJECTIVE

The main aim of the study is to investigate the mediator roles of locus of control and repetitive thinking in the known relationship between adult attachment patterns and depression, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and social anxiety symptoms. Together with this aim we sought to generate an integrative point of view to these relationships using a cognitive framework.

METHOD

There were 992 participants (661 women, 331 men) for the locus of control model, and 875 participants (581 women, 294 men) for the repetitive thinking model. All of the participants were college students and come from 14 different colleges across 9 different provinces. Participants were evaluated using the Locus of Control Scale, the Repetitive Thinking Questionnaire, the Experiences in Close Relationship Scale-II, the Beck Depression Inventory, the Maudsley Obsessive Compulsive Inventory and the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale. Structural Equation Modeling and mediator analysis were applied to the data.

RESULTS

The results revealed that there are some partial mediator roles of the locus of control in the relationship between attachment anxiety and depression, OCD and social anxiety for women but there is only an association with depression for men. Regarding repetitive thinking, there are some partial mediator roles between attachment anxiety and depression, OCD and social anxiety for both women and men. These cognitive features do not mediate the relationship between avoidant attachment and psychopathology symptoms for either women or men.

CONCLUSION

This study uncovered that cognitive features are important and incontrovertible variables in the relationship between attachment patterns and psychopathology symptoms.