The Association Between Adult Attachment and the Therapeutic Alliance: A Meta-Analytic Study
Open Access
Author:
Blansfield, Rachel
Area of Honors:
Psychology
Degree:
Bachelor of Science
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Kenneth N. Levy, Thesis Supervisor Kenneth N. Levy, Thesis Honors Advisor Frank Gerard Hillary, Faculty Reader
Keywords:
attachment alliance psychotherapy meta-analysis
Abstract:
The present meta-analysis was conducted to determine the association between adult attachment style and the therapeutic alliance. Both anxious attachment and avoidant attachment were predicted to correlate negatively with alliance, as the therapeutic alliance is an adult, interpersonal relationship that could be influenced by an individual’s attachment style. Random-effects models was used to determine the mean product-moment correlation (r) for 15 studies. The mean weighted r for attachment avoidance and the therapeutic alliance was -.16, 95% CI [-.28; -.11], p < .001, and the mean weighted r for attachment anxiety and the therapeutic alliance was -.19, 95% CI [-.23; -.09], p < .001. The results of the meta-analysis are further discussed from an attachment theoretical perspective. The implications for future research and clinical applications are discussed.
