More materialistic by escaping experiences: experiential avoidance mediates the link between attachment anxiety and material values

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Authors
Ecer, Emrullah
Gąsiorowska, Agata
Otterbring, Tobias
Monograph
Monograph (alternative title)
Date
2026
Publisher
Journal title
Motivation and Emotion
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Pages
Pages
1-19
DOI
ISSN
0146-7239
ISSN of series
Weblink
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11031-026-10244-3
Access date
2027-05-13
Abstract PL
Abstract EN
People with attachment anxiety frequently experience problems in social relationships and tend to form a strong attachment toward material objects as a substitute for their interpersonal insecurities. However, the underlying mechanism linking attachment anxiety with material values is not well-defined. We propose that anxiously attached people are more prone to avoid thoughts, feelings, and experiences, thereby leading to greater material values. In three correlational studies and a preregistered experiment conducted across Russian, Turkish, Polish, and U.S. samples (N = 1,397), we investigated whether experiential avoidance mediates the link between attachment anxiety and material values. The indirect effect of attachment anxiety on material values through experiential avoidance was consistently significant across all studies. In Study 4, we also demonstrated that inducing attachment anxiety (vs. negative affect) led to a suppression of unwanted experiences, feelings, and thoughts, resulting in more material values. We suggest that interventions focused on secure relationships may enhance anxiously attached individuals’ action strategies, potentially reducing their material values, with implications for the literature on attachment styles and material values as well as broader models of social and clinical psychology.
Abstract other
Keywords PL
Keywords EN
Attachment anxiety
Attachment avoidance
Experiential avoidance
Material values
Keywords other
Sustainable Development Goals
SDG 12. Responsible Consumption and Production ,
SDG 10. Reduced Inequalities ,
SDG 3. Good Health and Well-being
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https://share.swps.edu.pl/handle/swps/2335
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Nastawienie rynkowe jako skutek pozabezpiecznego przywiązania. Eksploracja relacji i jej psychologicznych mechanizmów
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