An updated meta-analysis of the relation between adult attachment style and working alliance.

Abstract<bold>Objective:</bold> Previous meta-analyses have shown that client-rated working alliance is negatively correlated with attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance. The purpose of this study is to provide an updated meta-analysis of the relation between alliance and the two dimensions of attachment insecurity. <bold>Method:</bold> Random effects models were used to examine the relation between the working alliance and attachment anxiety and the relation between the working alliance and attachment avoidance. <bold>Results:</bold> The overall relation between alliance and attachment anxiety was <italic>r</italic> = −.09 (<italic>p </italic>= .01, <italic>k</italic> = 33, <italic>I2</italic> = 43.7%). The overall relation between alliance and attachment avoidance was <italic>r</italic> = −.13 (<italic>p <</italic> .001, <italic>k</italic> = 33, <italic>I2</italic> = 44.7%). There was no evidence that these relations varied across study characteristics such as client race or the number of therapists in the study. <bold>Conclusion:</bold> The results support the negative relations between client-rated alliance and both dimensions of client-rated attachment insecurity. Further research is needed to identify the factors that moderate this relationship, using a more diverse sample of study characteristics and a wider range of measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]