TY - JOUR
T1 - Attachment style, empathy, and helping following a collective loss
T2 - Evidence from the September 11 terrorist attacks
AU - Wayment, Heidi A.
N1 - Funding Information:
The author would like to thank Laura Brandenberger, Andrea Cordova, Glenda Cruz, Orli Griver, Megan Hardman, Merle Jaffe, Violetta Lopez, Joe Milunas, Karina Sokol, and Phaedra Sova for their invaluable help with data collection and entry. This research was supported by an NSF SGER (#0202652) award and a Northern Arizona University Intramural Research Grant.
PY - 2006/3
Y1 - 2006/3
N2 - This study examined the relationships between avoidant and ambivalent attachment dimensions, empathy, and helping behavior in the context of one of the most tragic examples of collective loss in the USA. US college students (314 total: 219 females, 95 males) completed questionnaires between 20 and 42 days after the September 11 terrorist attacks. Results from this correlational study confirm previous laboratory experiments finding that attachment style may be related to people's ability to experience empathy and engage in helping behavior. Following the terrorist attacks, those with lower scores on avoidant attachment (i.e., more secure individuals) reported greater empathy with the bereaved. No association was found between the anxious attachment dimension and empathy, most likely due to a curvilinear relationship. Empathy for the bereaved was significantly correlated with helping behavior. Although neither attachment dimension was directly associated with collective helping behavior, avoidant attachment was negatively and indirectly related to collective helping behavior via its relationship with empathy for the bereaved.
AB - This study examined the relationships between avoidant and ambivalent attachment dimensions, empathy, and helping behavior in the context of one of the most tragic examples of collective loss in the USA. US college students (314 total: 219 females, 95 males) completed questionnaires between 20 and 42 days after the September 11 terrorist attacks. Results from this correlational study confirm previous laboratory experiments finding that attachment style may be related to people's ability to experience empathy and engage in helping behavior. Following the terrorist attacks, those with lower scores on avoidant attachment (i.e., more secure individuals) reported greater empathy with the bereaved. No association was found between the anxious attachment dimension and empathy, most likely due to a curvilinear relationship. Empathy for the bereaved was significantly correlated with helping behavior. Although neither attachment dimension was directly associated with collective helping behavior, avoidant attachment was negatively and indirectly related to collective helping behavior via its relationship with empathy for the bereaved.
KW - Attachment style
KW - Collective loss
KW - Empathy
KW - Helping behavior
KW - September 11
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33645640129&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=33645640129&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/14616730600585292
DO - 10.1080/14616730600585292
M3 - Article
C2 - 16581620
AN - SCOPUS:33645640129
SN - 1461-6734
VL - 8
SP - 1
EP - 9
JO - Attachment and Human Development
JF - Attachment and Human Development
IS - 1
ER -