Adult attachment styles and emotional regulation: The role of interoceptive awareness and alexithymia

Attachment in adulthood is important for understanding how an individual will navigate their relationships, social behaviours, and affect regulation, although processes by which attachment contributes to emotional regulation less known. The conscious perception of our internal bodily signals– classified as interoceptive awareness –, along with difficulties recognising describing experiences, known alexithymia, are two constructs that may contribute this process. current study explored whether capability alexithymia functioned sequential mediators the relationship between insecure adult styles regulation. A convenience sample 219 Australian adults completed online survey comprised a sociodemographic questionnaire four standardised measures assessed these aforementioned constructs. Results from bivariate correlations serial mediation analyses found anxious avoidant were negatively associated sensations positively identifying feelings regulating negative affect. Interoceptive sequentially mediated relationships dimensions difficulties. These mind-body therefore represent concerns difficulties, should be considered when addressing those concerns.