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    The Use of Material Objects as a Secure Base

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    Keefer_ku_0099D_13578_DATA_1.pdf (1.715Mb)
    Issue Date
    2014-08-31
    Author
    Keefer, Lucas Allen
    Publisher
    University of Kansas
    Format
    91 pages
    Type
    Dissertation
    Degree Level
    Ph.D.
    Discipline
    Psychology
    Rights
    This item is protected by copyright and unless otherwise specified the copyright of this thesis/dissertation is held by the author.
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    Abstract
    Attachment theory proposes that people form and maintain close interpersonal relationships in part because they provide a secure base for personal growth. Emerging evidence expands on this insight by showing that people sometimes seek (and find) this secure base in non-human sources (e.g., pets), particularly under conditions of threatened or absent social connection. The current research presents the first evidence that material objects can serve as a secure base, increasing felt security and the willingness to explore. Priming a valued object prevented a loss of exploration intentions following threat (Study 1). Consistent with prior research, objects effectively bolstered security and exploration particularly when uncertainty about social support was dispositionally high (Study 2) and experimentally increased (Studies 3 & 4). Study 5 showed that, in the wake of support uncertainty, an object increased exploration only if participants appraised that object as dependable--a defining characteristic of a human secure base.
    URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/1808/16850
    Collections
    • Dissertations [4475]
    • Psychology Dissertations and Theses [459]

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    785-864-8983

    KU Libraries
    1425 Jayhawk Blvd
    Lawrence, KS 66045
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    Contact KU ScholarWorks
    785-864-8983
    KU Libraries
    1425 Jayhawk Blvd
    Lawrence, KS 66045
    785-864-8983

    KU Libraries
    1425 Jayhawk Blvd
    Lawrence, KS 66045
    Image Credits
     

     

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