Attachment Style and Trait Mindfulness in Adults: Contrasting Role of Secure and Ambivalent Insecure Attachment

Abstract

Background: The concept of mindfulness is deeply rooted in Buddhist tradition, whereas attachment theory, originally developed by John Bowlby, emphasizes how emotional warmth and comfort from caregivers shape human life experiences. Secure and insecure attachment styles follow distinct developmental and emotion regulation pathways. Objectives: Drawing on various theoretical frameworks that highlight the role of early experiences in regulating present awareness, this study sought to investigate the contrasting roles of secure and ambivalent insecure attachment styles in mindfulness. Methodology: The study was conducted on a sample of 130 adult students. Data was analyzed using regression analysis to examine the relationships between the specific attachment styles and mindfulness. Results: The regression analysis demonstrated that ambivalent and secure attachment styles have contrasting effects on an individual's present-moment awareness. Specifically, ambivalent attachment negatively predicts present-moment awareness, while secure attachment positively predicts it. Conclusion: These observations imply that integrating mindfulness-based interventions with attachment-informed therapeutic approaches can help lessen the detrimental effects of attachment anxiety.