Can a One-Time Subtle Attachment Security Priming Impact Outcomes in the Real World?

Although research exists on the impact of security priming, the vast majority of studies have been conducted in the laboratory and used repeated prime/priming sessions. The studies described in this paper test whether attachment security priming impacts people’s sense of security and related behaviors in the real world following a single exposure to a security prime. In the first two studies, participants were indirectly exposed to either security or control cues. In Study 1 (n = 53), exposure to security cues via posters near the entrance to the building where the study took place led to a higher sense of state security. In Study 2 (n~21,000), the same security primes (posters) led to a greater tendency to engage in helping behavior. In Study 3 (n = 200), exposure to similar security primes, embedded in a self-help guide, increased people’s positive evaluations of the health guide, which is known to be related to higher adherence to treatment. The implications for day-to-day security, well-being, and health are discussed.