The Impact of Early Affiliative Memories on Psychological Health: The Mediator Role of External Shame and Cognitive Fusion

Abstract

Early positive interactions have been positively associated with positive mental health outcomes. In contrast, the lack of these early affiliative experiences of warmth and safeness can have negative consequences on the individual's physical, emotional and social development.

The current study tests a mediation model that examines the mediator effect of external shame and cognitive fusion on the association between early affiliative memories with attachment figures and with peers, and psychological quality of life. These analyses were conducted using a sample of 453 participants from the community.

The final model explained 47% of psychological quality of life and presented excellent model fit indices. Results from path analysis showed that both early affiliative memories of warmth and safeness with peers and attachment figures present a significant impact on psychological quality of life through the indirect effect of external shame and cognitive fusion. In fact, although early affiliative memories with peers also presented a direct effect on psychological quality of life, the impact of early affiliative memories with attachment figures on this outcome was totally mediated through the mechanisms of external shame and cognitive fusion.

These findings seem to provide an important contribution to the field of early affiliative memories of warmth and safeness with attachment figures and with peers by uncovering the mediating role of external shame and cognitive fusion. Furthermore, these data highlighted the relevance of developing intervention programs in the community, especially in a context of early adverse experiences, for the promotion of mental health well-being.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.