Mindfulness Mediates the Relationship Between Attachment Style and General Self-Efficacy: Preliminary Evidence From Cross-Sectional and Cross-Lagged Studies

Attachment style is related to general self-efficacy. However, the underpinning mechanisms regarding this association remain unclear. The way people treat their own experiences is vital to general self-efficacy. Mindfulness is a key feature of attachment security, and mindful individuals could utilize positive experiences efficiently and prevent negative ones from impacting their self-efficacy. Thus, the current study investigated the potential mediating role of mindfulness in the association between attachment style and general self-efficacy. Study 1 used a cross-sectional design with 709 participants living in Tokyo, Japan. The results of Study 1 indicated that mindfulness was negatively associated with attachment avoidance and anxiety and positively associated with general self-efficacy. Attachment avoidance and anxiety were negatively related to general self-efficacy, and mindfulness mediated this relationship. Study 2 adopted a cross-lagged model to examine the directionality of these variables. Data from 408 Japanese participants showed that, at a 3-month interval, attachment anxiety negatively predicted mindfulness and general self-efficacy, and mindfulness negatively predicted general self-efficacy. Attachment avoidance positively predicted mindfulness, and mindfulness negatively predicted attachment avoidance. These findings support that evaluative attitude and the amplified negative emotions of attachment anxiety may constitute an unstable inner environment, which is likely to hamper mindfulness and general self-efficacy.