| Though there is ample evidence of substantial individual variability in cognitive aging and functioning, little research has focused on the impact of the intrapersonal factors and experience that are reflected in an individual's regulatory attachment style. Anxiety, which is a component of attachment style, has been linked to decreases in cognitive functioning; however, the nature of the relationship as a potential source of individual variability in cognitive aging has not been examined. With the use of a multi-level modeling approach (HLM), analyses took place to uncover the relationship between fluctuations in fluid and crystallized abilities and attachment style in adulthood over a span of 12 years. Results indicated that the dimensional approach to attachment, using anxiety and avoidance, had predictive ability. Specifically, the anxiety dimension significantly accounted for the individual differences in both baseline scores, as well as rate of change over time on the fluid intelligence measure, while there was no effect of avoidance. More research is needed to replicate these findings with other measures of attachment, as well as "purer" measures of anxiety. |
