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Why We Become So Attached to Our Belongings
Article

Why We Become So Attached to Our Belongings

Low emotional security can intensify our relationships to our belongings

Scientific American, 2018 подробнее...


Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Scientific
  • Eye Opening
  • Concrete Examples

Recommendation

Most people form emotional attachments to some of their possessions – be it a car, smartphone, or favorite memorabilia. Yet psychologists have only started to uncover the complex emotional processes that underlie people’s attachment to inanimate objects. Veteran journalist Francine Russo summarizes some of the most recent findings in this niche of social psychology for Scientific American. If you have ever bought something to fill an emotional void or wondered why losing a treasured object can cause such intense emotional distress, this article will provide you with some answers.

Take-Aways

  • Objects can serve as substitutes for social relationships.
  • An individual’s “attachment style” can predict their propensity to seek emotional comfort from objects.
  • Many humans subconsciously believe that objects can be infused with human essence.

About the Author

Francine Russo is a veteran journalist, specializing in psychology and behavior. She is also a speaker and author of They’re Your Parents, Too! How Siblings Can Survive Their Parents’ Aging Without Driving Each Other Crazy.


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