Cognitive/Interpersonal Correlates of Adult Interpersonal Problem-Solving Strategies

Two potential correlates of interpersonal problem-solving strategies were studied: attachment cognitions, and global beliefs about self-worth. Problem-solving strategies were assessed through an interview in which participants were asked to conceptualize and solve hypothetical interpersonal problems. Direct and indirect associations between the variables were tested in a sample of 94 women making the transition to adulthood. The results showed that poor problem solving was associated with both low levels of global self-worth and attachment insecurity. Furthermore, global self-worth mediated the relationship between attachment cognitions and interpersonal problem-solving strategies, indicating that attachment insecurity had an indirect association with poor problem solving through low self-worth. A model for how early experience could lead to negative beliefs about self and others, and how these beliefs could lead to poor problem solving, is discussed.