Attachment, Shame, and Trauma

All study hypotheses were confirmed. Adults with regulated attachments (Secure, Dismissing, Preoccupied) were significantly less likely to ascribe shame to the AAP pictures than traumatized adults. The patterns of results were the same when comparing differences in shame intensity and outcomes. There were no differences in shame intensity in the regulated group. Shame intensity for the Traumatized Secures was somewhat greater. There was a significant increase observed in the traumatized groups, with the Unresolved group showing the highest ratings. Reparative outcomes were significantly related to attachment security, although not to the extent expected. Secure, regulated insecure (Dismissing, Preoccupied), and some traumatized individuals described reconciliation and functional restitution. Unresolved individuals left shame unremedied. Regression analysis demonstrated that attachment classification was a greater predictor of shame intensity than outcomes. Conculusions: Attachment and neurological development are intertwined. Childhood interactive failures are deeply traumatic. If not mourned, shame takes its place in the identity core. This study provides clinicians with an in-depth perspective on attachment and shame assessment for goal-setting in therapy, consonant with their patients' attachment representations.