Using a go/no-go association task (GNAT; Nosek, & Banaji, 2001), we previously developed an implicit measure (Fujii et al., 2015) of the internal working model of attachment (IWM; anxiety and avoidance). Using lexical decision tasks of attachment, implicit IWM effects on social information processing were examined. Results suggested that avoidance was related to the processing of the self’s positive lexicons.
In this study, we examined whether implicit avoidance modulated the self-prime effect on attachment lexicon processing. Participants were 30 undergraduate students. After measuring implicit IWM using a GNAT in a within-participant design, self and none, lexicon decision tasks (by positive attachment words) were performed. Results showed that under avoidance, self-prime delayed processing of positive lexicons. Thus, with high avoidance, emotional interaction between self and other was inhibited.
