Enneagram vs. Attachment Theory
What is Attachment Theory?
Based on the work of psychologists John Bowlby and Mary Salter Ainsworth, attachment theory says the emotional bonds a child forms with caregivers shape their capacity for intimacy and trust throughout their life, and will influence how they react to close relationships as adults.
There are two primary kinds of attachment: Secure and Insecure. However, three varieties of Insecure attachment exist based upon how high the individual is in the areas of anxiousness and avoidance.
Secure Attachment: sees self as worthy of love and believes others are generally accepting and responsive
Anxiety = Low, Avoidance = LowInsecure/Anxious Attachment: sees self as unworthy of love, but believes others are trustworthy
Anxiety = High, Avoidance = LowInsecure/Avoidant Attachment: sees others as untrustworthy, but believes self is worthy of love
Anxiety = Low, Avoidance = HighInsecure/Disorganized Attachment: sees both self as unworthy of love and others as untrustworthy
Anxiety = High, Avoidance = High
Enneagram vs. Attachment Research
Very little research is available on the relationship between the Enneagram and attachment theory.
The one study available, titled Attachment Styles and Enneagram Types: Development and Testing of an Integrated Typology for use in Marriage and Family Therapy, was an unpublished doctoral dissertation by Kristen Bedow Arthur in 2008. Arthur’s research question was: “Do patterns of characteristics of the attachment types coincide with patterns of characteristics of the Enneagram types in predictable ways?”
Research Findings
In general, reliable patterns did appear to emerge for all nine Enneagram Types in Arthur’s research.
Type 1
There was a significant correlation between Ones and Secure Attachment, suggesting that they are likely to:
be trusting of others and emotionally open;
have been raised by emotionally-available, responsive caretakers;
zone-out attachment related information; and
not move away from attachment-related experiences.
Type 2
There was a significant correlation between Twos and Anxious Attachment, suggesting that they are likely to:
be emotionally open but fear abandonment;
have been raised by caretakers who gave them confusing or conflicting messages;
actively monitor their partner for signs that they might be upset or leave;
get upset by short periods of separation from their partner; and
struggle receiving reassurance from their partner.
Type 3
There was a significant correlation between Threes and Secure Attachment, suggesting that they are likely to:
be trusting of others and emotionally open;
have been raised by emotionally-available, responsive caretakers;
zone-out attachment related information; and
not move away from attachment-related experiences.
Type 4
There was a significant correlation between Fours and Anxious Attachment, suggesting that they are likely to:
be emotionally open but fear abandonment;
have been raised by caretakers who gave them confusing or conflicting messages;
actively monitor their partner for signs that they might be upset or leave;
get upset by short periods of separation from their partner; and
struggle receiving reassurance from their partner.
Type 5
There was a significant correlation between Fives and Avoidant Attachment, suggesting that they are likely to:
be outwardly happy but emotionally closed off;
have been raised by caretakers who refrained from showing emotion and/or affection;
fear losing their independence;
struggle developing deep connections; and
be unaffected by long periods away from a partner.
Type 6
There was a significant correlation between Sixes and Disorganized Attachment, suggesting that they are likely to:
be fearful or distrusting of others and relationships;
have been raised by caretakers that became a source of fear in childhood;
exhibit inconsistent behavior;
fight with a partner while also being afraid to be fought with; and
deny their dissatisfaction/anger with a relationship while simultaneously monitoring their partner for the same.
Type 7
There was a significant correlation between Sevens and Avoidant Attachment, suggesting that they are likely to:
be outwardly happy but emotionally closed off;
have been raised by caretakers who refrained from showing emotion and/or affection;
fear losing their independence;
struggle developing deep connections; and
be unaffected by long periods away from a partner.
Type 8
There was a significant correlation between Eights and Disorganized Attachment, suggesting that they are likely to:
be fearful or distrusting of others and relationships;
have been raised by caretakers that became a source of fear in childhood;
exhibit inconsistent behavior;
fight with a partner while also being afraid to be fought with; and
deny their dissatisfaction/anger with a relationship while simultaneously monitoring their partner for the same.
Type 9 (Wing 1)
There was a significant correlation between Nines with a One wing and Secure Attachment, suggesting that they are likely to:
be trusting of others and emotionally open;
have been raised by emotionally-available, responsive caretakers;
zone-out attachment related information; and
not move away from attachment-related experiences.
Type 9 (Wing 8)
There was a significant correlation between Nines with an Eight wing and Disorganized Attachment, suggesting that they are likely to:
be fearful or distrusting of others and relationships;
have been raised by caretakers that became a source of fear in childhood;
exhibit inconsistent behavior;
fight with a partner while also being afraid to be fought with; and
deny their dissatisfaction/anger with a relationship while simultaneously monitoring their partner for the same.
The Fine Print
It's important to use a critical eye when reviewing research. Authors do their best to protect against biases and assess results objectively, but no study is perfect. Make sure to consider what research is (and isn't) actually telling you before taking it at face value.
Research Question
Do patterns of characteristics of the attachment types coincide with patterns of characteristics of the Enneagram types in predictable ways?
Sample
The data was gathered from 69 members of the Association of Enneagram Teachers, all of whom were older, educated, white, and American.
Methodology
Attachment Styles were gathered using the Revised Experiences in Close Relationships (ECR-R) psychometric scale.
Enneagram Types were gathered using participant self-reporting.
Strengths
The ECR-R has high internal consistency, indicating the questions on the scale are indeed measuring the same construct.
Self-reported data is typically seen as less reliable than objective measurements using validated tools; however, given the sample was comprised of trained Enneagram instructors, their self-reported Types are highly likely to be accurate.
In general, the findings align with Enneagram theory.
Limitations
Data from unpublished studies are usually considered with caution. The rigor a study must undergo to be published — including a peer-review process — instills confidence that the study was conducted logically, ethically, and in good faith. As the Arthur dissertation was not published, the resulting takeaways will naturally earn skepticism.
A sample size of 69 is too small to dissect nuances between nine Types. (For example, only two Type Fives participated in the study.)
The sample used is not representative of the average age, education level, ethnicity, or self-awareness of the general population.
The organization of the study used predetermined groupings of Types for analysis rather than individual Types. While this seems to have made sense for the small-N study, the findings would be more convincing and nuanced had they been assessed individually.
Source List
Arthur, K. B. (2008). Attachment styles and Enneagram types: Development and testing of an integrated typology for use in marriage and family therapy (Doctoral dissertation, Virginia Tech). Full dissertation
