The present study relies on the basic assumption that individual differences in attachment are involved in organizing one’s experience by means of the cognitive-affective models represented by the internal working models of relationships. Suggestion is conceptualized as a special modality of social influencing, [1] which is ubiquitous in all relationships and works through the activation of cognitive-affective schemata. We examined the effects of controlling versus informative feedback on the size of improvement in performance on a mental states recognition test in a group of psychology students, as well as the involvement of adult attachment in these effects. Results are discussed mainly in terms of educational implications.
[1] Lars-Gunnar Lundh, “Normal Suggestion. An Analysis of the Phenomenon and Its Role in Psychotherapy”, Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy 5 (1998): 24–38.
