Hünefeldt, T. , Ortu, F. & Olivetti Belardinelli, M.
University of Rome "La Sapienza"
While there has been extensive research on the relationship between attachment and theory-of-mind (ToM) in developmental as well as in clinical perspective, hardly anything is known about this relationship in normal adults. Considering the current models of attachment and ToM, we hypothesized that the two dimensions of adult attachment, avoidance and anxiety, are differently related to ToM. In particular, we expected a positive correlation of anxiety, but a negative correlation of avoidance with ToM concerning other persons’ mental states. In order to test this hypothesis, we used the “Reading the Eyes in the Mind Test” as a measure of ToM and the “Relationship Questionnaire”, the “Experiences in Close Relationships” questionnaire and the “Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment” as measures of attachment. A preliminary research indicated that the relationship between adults’ attachment and their ability to recognize other people’s emotions is mediated by variables concerning the affective quality of these emotions. In particular, we found that anxiety but not avoidance was positively correlated with the recognition of negative emotions, while neither anxiety nor avoidance were correlated with the recognition of neutral or positive emotions. These preliminary findings basically support our hypothesis but emphasize the role of mediating variables.