Effect of mood on perception of adult attachment

Although there is much evidence to suggest that depression is somewhat rooted in an insecure style of attachment, the reverse possibility that depressed mood influences attachment style has not been experimentally explored until now. Volunteer adults from a community sample were randomly assigned to either an elated (n&barbelow; = 65) or depressed condition (n&barbelow; = 64), which was induced with a musical mood induction procedure. Participants then completed the Relationship Questionnaire, a self-report measure of four adult attachment styles designed by Bartholomew and Horowitz (1991). Those in the elated condition were found to report similar scores on the Relationship Questionnaire to those in the depressed condition for three of the four styles. The findings are discussed in terms of how they may clarify the relationship between depression and attachment, and how we may use them to guide us in future research.