“DiTomasso, Brannen-McNulty, Ross, & Burgess (2003). Attachment styles, social skills and loneliness in young adults.” – Article summary

Attachment provides the framework for how an individual perceives and interacts with the world. There is a heightened reliance on attachment relationships for adolescents when transitioning to adulthood. Bartholomew’s theory of attachment states that attachment should be explained in terms of how individuals perceive themselves and others in relationships. There are four attachment styles in adolescents and adults:

1. Secure attachment
   This refers to people with a positive view of themselves and others. These people have a sense of self-efficacy. It is associated with more emotional expressivity (1), emotional sensitivity (2), social expressivity (3) and social control (4). It is negatively associated with social sensitivity.
2. Pre-occupied attachment
   This refers to people with a negative view of themselves and a positive view of others. These people have a high dependence on others. It is associated with higher social sensitivity and lower social control.
3. Avoidant attachment (i.e. perceived as shy)
   This refers to people with a negative view of themselves and others. These people are socially avoidant and fearful of intimate relationships. It is associated with lower emotional expressivity (1), emotional sensitivity (2), social expressivity (3) and social control (4).
4. Dismissing attachment
   This refers to people with a positive view of themselves and a negative view of others. These people have high self-esteem with a suppressed desire to engage in intimate relationships. They have low sociability. It is associated with lower emotional expressivity (1), social expressivity (2) and social control (3).

Transition is evaluated in the terms of the ease by which adolescents adjust to adulthood. This can be measured using indirect measures of psychosocial functioning (e.g. loneliness). An attachment style leads to attachment working models. This may provide the foundation for the development of social skills.

Attachment is associated with aspects of social competence (e.g. social support seeking; social adjustment). There is a relationship between attachment and social skills although it is not clear whether this mediates the effect of attachment on loneliness.

Riggio states that emotional and social skills are a set of interpersonal abilities that facilitate social interaction. There are several ways in which emotional and social skills are expressed:

1. Emotional expressivity
   This refers to the ability to show emotions and express feelings.
2. Emotional control
   This refers to the ability to inhibit or display a particular emotion at will.
3. Social expressivity
   This refers to the use of body language and other social signals and the ability to interpret these signals.
4. Social control
   This refers to the ability to wilfully control one’s social behaviour.

These skills are associated with higher levels of self-esteem and this is an indicator of self-esteem. A balance may facilitate adolescents’ transition to adulthood and enhance psychosocial adjustment.

A secure attachment is associated with lower loneliness. A fearful attachment is associated with higher levels of loneliness. A dismissing attachment is associated with greater social loneliness. A preoccupied attachment is associated with greater romantic and family loneliness.

Lower family loneliness is associated with higher levels of social expressivity and social control. Lower perceived social loneliness is associated with emotional sensitivity (1), emotional expressivity (2), social expressivity (3) and social control (4).

There is a balance of skills for secure attachment. For avoidant attachment, there was an overall deficit. For the dismissing and preoccupied attachment, there was an imbalance. Pre-occupied people neglect other skills besides social sensitivity by being highly attuned to the signals of others.