Reducing intergroup biases and conflict through attachment theory
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Abstract
Although an extensive research base exists for attachment effects on several interpersonal behaviors (see Mikulincer & Shaver, 2007a for a review), recent work has suggested the important role of attachment theory in mitigating intergroup biases and conflict (see Mikulincer & Shaver, 2007b for a review). Two experiments tested the effects of secure, neutral, and insecure attachment primes on intergroup bias, conflict schemas, and cooperative, competitive, aggressive, and altruistic behaviors within an intergroup context. In Study One, participants in the secure attachment prime condition displayed lower implicit outgroup bias relative to participants in the neutral and insecure attachment prime conditions. Additionally, attachment primes interacted with ingroup identification for implicit outgroup bias. Specifically, attachment primes were more likely to influence implicit outgroup bias for participants who strongly identified with their ingroup, rather than participants who were low on ingroup identification. In Study Two attachment primes did not significantly influence conflict schema activations or subsequent behaviors within an intergroup context. Implications, weaknesses, and avenues for future research are discussed.