Interrelations between Attachment Styles, Emotional Contagion and Loneliness

The main purpose of this study was to examine the roles of parental attachment styles and emotional contagion in predicting the level of loneliness. Based on the theoretical and empirical premises, we have decided to investigate whether emotional contagion can be associated with loneliness, when the attachment styles are controlled for, and whether emotional contagion can function as a mediator in the relationship between attachment avoidance and loneliness. The Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale, the Experiences in Close Relationships Scale, and the Emotional Contagion Scale were applied to the research. In our results, attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance were demonstrated to be positive predictors, while positive emotional contagion was shown to be a negative predictor of loneliness. Moreover, our data revealed that catching the positive (but not negative) emotions of others was a mediator in the relationship between attachment avoidance and loneliness.