Attachment, Empathy and Social Ability as Correlates of Leftward Cradling in Students

Khalfe, Faieeza

Attachment, Empathy and Social Ability as Correlates of Leftward Cradling in Students

Thesis / Dissertation

2023

Abstract

Many theories have been put forth in order to explain the emergence of leftward cradling bias - the universal phenomenon whereby humans tend to exhibit a bias for cradling to the left when trying to soothe an infant. Current research supports a cerebral laterality hypothesis, which suggests that this bias emerges because of the specialised decoding and processing of facial emotional expressions, affect, and socio-emotional stimuli, as well as non-verbal aspects of communication, all of which take place in the right cerebral hemisphere. The leftward positioning of the infant places them in the cradlers left auditory and visual fields. This placement is argued to allow for better monitoring of the infant. This has a reciprocal advantage for the infant – as they are able to perceive the more expressive side of the cradlers faces. This facilitates optimal relating and subsequent bonding, both of which contribute to developing future prosocial behaviors. Consequently, it has been recently argued that leftward cradling bias is reflective of better attachment, empathy, and social ability. It is also argued that mood-related states of depression and anxiety should disrupt leftward cradling bias, given that both disorders are associated with difficulties in socio-emotional relatedness. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between leftward cradling bias and socio-emotional relatedness. To do so, I looked at the relationship between the preferred cradling side and (1) three variables of socio-emotional relatedness - attachment, affective empathy, and social ability - and (2) mood-related states and symptoms of both depression and anxiety. The sample in this study were undergraduate male and female Psychology students (N = 677) at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. It was conducted online. Participants first placed a demographic questionnaire, after which they completed a series of self-report questionnaires between four cradling bias task trials. Despite a theoretical basis, hierarchical regression analysis indicated that none of the variables of interest predicted cradling side in this sample. Only handedness predicted cradling side, with right-handed individuals being significantly more likely to demonstrate the leftward cradling bias (β = -.11, p = .003). However, this variable only contributed 1% in explanation (R2 = .01). Future research should consider a threshold hypothesis in relation to variables of socio-emotional relatedness. An argument can be made that clinically significant deficits in socio-emotional relatedness, as seen in clinical disorders such as narcissistic personality disorder and borderline personality disorder, could disrupt the otherwise universal leftward cradling bias.

Keywords

Psychological Research

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