Tian Junnan, Freeman Harry
Department of Psychology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China.
Division of Counseling and Psychology in Education, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069, USA.
Behav Sci (Basel). 2024 Jul 26;14(8):647. doi: 10.3390/bs14080647.
This study examined five dimensions of attachment network structure in a large sample of adults ( = 930, 57% female) between 24 to 80 years of age. We employed a newly validated diagrammatic measure, the web-based hierarchical mapping technique (WHMT), to measure the attachment strength to participants' five closest relationships and the physical distance to and between network members. Our first aim was to replicate existing research on the composition of adult attachment networks, exploring variations in network patterns by age, romantic status, and parental status. Our second aim was to explore four new network dimensions, including physical distance to network members, hierarchical patterns, centrality, and density. The results replicated previous work on network composition, highlighting the pivotal role of romantic partners as primary attachment figures through adulthood. The analysis of the new network dimensions revealed a clear divide between adults in romantic relationships and those who are not. Compared to the single adults, the adults in romantic relationships were more hierarchical in their attachment preferences, reported lower emotional connection to friends and parents, and lived farther from their network, which was also more geographically dispersed. In other words, romantically involved adults put more of their attachment eggs in one basket. The results also showed that the older adults tended to live further away from their attachment network and had a more geographically dispersed network compared to the younger adults.
本研究在一个包含930名年龄在24至80岁之间的成年人（女性占57%）的大样本中，考察了依恋网络结构的五个维度。我们采用了一种新验证的图表测量方法，即基于网络的层次映射技术（WHMT），来测量参与者与五个最亲密关系对象的依恋强度以及与网络成员之间的实际距离。我们的首要目标是重复现有的关于成人依恋网络构成的研究，探究网络模式在年龄、恋爱状况和父母状况方面的差异。我们的第二个目标是探索四个新的网络维度，包括与网络成员的实际距离、层次模式、中心性和密度。结果重复了先前关于网络构成的研究，突出了恋爱伴侣在成年期作为主要依恋对象的关键作用。对新网络维度的分析揭示了恋爱关系中的成年人与非恋爱关系中的成年人之间存在明显差异。与单身成年人相比，恋爱关系中的成年人在依恋偏好上更具层次性，报告称与朋友和父母的情感联系较低，并且住得离他们的网络更远，其网络在地理上也更为分散。换句话说，恋爱中的成年人把更多的依恋“鸡蛋”放在了一个篮子里。结果还表明，与年轻成年人相比，年长成年人往往住得离他们的依恋网络更远，且其网络在地理上更为分散。
