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Attachment Memories, Models and Information Processing

Melinda Noirot

Oberlin College

Working models of attachment are considered key mediators of responses to attachment-related events, but relatively little research examines their directive influence. In this study we investigated the dynamics of working models by means of a memory paradigm. Participants were tested for attachment orientation and several weeks later read an attachmentrelated story, performed an attachment-unrelated task, and took a cued-recall test about the story. They were additionally primed by the writing of supportive or rejecting friendship experiences either before reading the story or afterwards. Results provided evidence for two types of information processing effects, attachment-schematic information processing and attachment-related constraints on information processing capacity. Secure attachment was associated with better recall of positive story events when participants were primed by rejecting memories before the story. Fearful attachment was associated with better recall of negative story events, when participants were primed by either rejecting or supportive memories before the story. Fearful attachment was associated with impaired performance on the attachment-unrelated task, when participants were primed by rejecting memories prior to executing the task.

Key Words: attachment style • information processing • memories

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