Attachment Research, Developmental Implications, and Clinical Interventions with Children, Adults, and Couples

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shoshana Ringel
Keyword(s):  
Attachment Theory ◽  
Intergenerational Transmission ◽  
Adult Attachment ◽  
Adult Attachment Interview ◽  
Clinical Interventions ◽  
Attachment Patterns ◽  
Infant Research ◽  
John Bowlby ◽  
Attachment Research ◽  
Mary Ainsworth

This review summarizes contributions to attachment theory and research by John Bowlby, Mary Ainsworth, Mary Main, and many other researchers. It addresses contributions from the Adult Attachment Interview to the understanding of loss and trauma as well as the intergenerational transmission of attachment patterns from parent to child. The review describes current findings from infant research, and the implications of attachment theory to clinical interventions with children, families, adults, and couples.

scholarly journals Contributions of attachment theory and research: A framework for future research, translation, and policy

2013 ◽  
Vol 25 (4pt2) ◽  
pp. 1415-1434 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jude Cassidy ◽  
Jason D. Jones ◽  
Phillip R. Shaver
Keyword(s):  
School Readiness ◽  
Attachment Theory ◽  
Child Psychopathology ◽  
Adult Attachment Interview ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Research Translation ◽  
Strange Situation ◽  
Infant Attachment ◽  
Attachment Patterns ◽  
Attachment Research

AbstractAttachment theory has been generating creative and impactful research for almost half a century. In this article we focus on the documented antecedents and consequences of individual differences in infant attachment patterns, suggesting topics for further theoretical clarification, research, clinical interventions, and policy applications. We pay particular attention to the concept of cognitive “working models” and to neural and physiological mechanisms through which early attachment experiences contribute to later functioning. We consider adult caregiving behavior that predicts infant attachment patterns, and the still-mysterious “transmission gap” between parental Adult Attachment Interview classifications and infant Strange Situation classifications. We also review connections between attachment and (a) child psychopathology; (b) neurobiology; (c) health and immune function; (d) empathy, compassion, and altruism; (e) school readiness; and (f) culture. We conclude with clinical–translational and public policy applications of attachment research that could reduce the occurrence and maintenance of insecure attachment during infancy and beyond. Our goal is to inspire researchers to continue advancing the field by finding new ways to tackle long-standing questions and by generating and testing novel hypotheses.

Attachment Theory

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marilyn Watson
Keyword(s):  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Attachment Theory ◽  
Interpersonal Relationships ◽  
Insecure Attachment ◽  
Parent Attachment ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Attachment Relationships ◽  
John Bowlby ◽  
History Of ◽  
Mary Ainsworth

The origins of attachment theory and the work of John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth are described. Four types of child–parent attachment relationships—secure, insecure/anxious, insecure/ambivalent, and insecure/disorganized—are outlined along with the ways each type might manifest itself in the classroom. A longitudinal study, conducted by Alan Sroufe and his colleagues, of the development and effects on learning and interpersonal relationships of different child–parent attachment relationships is described. Teachers too have a history of attachment relationships that can affect how they relate to their students. The chapter describes adult attachment and how one’s attachment history might, positively or negatively, affect one’s ability to build positive, nurturing relationships with students. Specific examples of ways teachers can offset the negative effects of a student’s or their own history of insecure attachment are described.

Bridging the attachment transmission gap: The role of maternal mind-mindedness

2003 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 355-365 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annie Bernier ◽  
Mary Dozier
Keyword(s):  
Intergenerational Transmission ◽  
Adult Attachment ◽  
Foster Children ◽  
Predictive Power ◽  
Attachment Security ◽  
Infant Attachment ◽  
Attachment Research ◽  
State Of Mind ◽  
Age Appropriate

The intergenerational transmission of attachment patterns is one of the most reliable yet least understood findings of attachment research. The aim of this report was to examine the capacity of maternal mind-mindedness to account for the relation between adult attachment state of mind and infant attachment security. Sixty-four foster children (aged 6–30 months) participated with their foster mothers. The mother’s tendency to use mental features in describing her child (mindmindedness) was negatively related to the security of both maternal state of mind and infant attachment. Further, mind-mindedness accounted for the totality of the predictive power of state of mind on infant attachment. The results suggest that age-appropriate representations of the child may help explain intergenerational transmission, through their interplay with parental interactive behaviours.

scholarly journals Da Psicologia do Attachment à visão neurocientífica proposta por Lee A. Kirkpatrick sobre a religiosidade humana

2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 18
Author(s):  
Edênio Valle
Keyword(s):  
Attachment Theory ◽  
John Bowlby ◽  
Konrad Lorenz ◽  
Mary Ainsworth

Lee A. Kirkpatrick é um dos nomes de maior destaque na Psicologia da Religião na atualidade. Sua importância como pesquisador e teórico se consolidou graças aos seus trabalhos empíricos sobre a Teoria do Apego (Attachment Theory), originalmente proposta por John Bowlby e Mary Ainsworth. Como esses dois pesquisadores, também Kirkpatrick sofreu a influência da Etologia neoevolucionista de Konrad Lorenz e dos acesos debates que se travaram na Psicanálise britânica do pós-guerra a respeito das relações do bebê com sua a mãe na fase em que a sua sobrevivência física e psicológica depende totalmente de quem dele cuida. O mérito principal de Kirkpatrick ao entrar nessa discussão foi o de aplicar com rigor a Teoria do Apego à religiosidade e a outros semelhantes estados anímicos experimentados não só pelo neonato. Em seus trabalhos há dois momentos distintos e complementares. No primeiro deles, o objeto de sua atenção se concentrou mais na relação de apego propriamente dita. Mais tarde, paralelamente ao grande avanço das Bio e Neurociências e da Psicologia Evolucionária, ele passou a dar ênfase aos processos e mecanismos neurofisiológicos e psicológicos que subjazem às reações psicocomportamentais da criança. Essa progressiva e coerente mudança de enfoque fez de Kirkpatrick um renomado pesquisador da Psicologia da Religião. O artigo apresenta ao leitor/a os dois estágios percorridos por ele em seu itinerário como estudioso da área da Psicologia da Religião.

Love is a wondrous state:1 origins and early debates

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-22
Author(s):  
Sue White ◽  
Matthew Gibson ◽  
David Wastell ◽  
Patricia Walsh
Keyword(s):  
Object Relations ◽  
Attachment Theory ◽  
Evolutionary Biology ◽  
Developmental Psychology ◽  
Object Relations Theory ◽  
Clinical Observations ◽  
John Bowlby ◽  
Primary Object ◽  
Mary Ainsworth ◽  
State 1

This chapter traces the origins of attachment theory and reviews its component parts, including the seminal empirical research on animals and humans. Attachment theory, popularised during the 1940s and 1950s, is a synthesis of object relations theory and ethological developmental psychology. It suggests a symbiotic dance of nature and nurture, achieved through the ministering of the mother. It shares with object relations theory an emphasis on the infant's relationship with the ‘primary object’, but these ideas are combined with those from cognitive psychology, cybernetics (control systems theory), ethology, and evolutionary biology. The theory is thus an elegant, but pragmatic mishmash, arising from attempts to make sense of empirical, clinical observations of real children experiencing distressing separations, together with aspirations to make the world a better place for everybody by understanding the medium of love. Attachment theory as used in child welfare is generally attributed to the work of John Bowlby, James Robertson, and Mary Ainsworth. The chapter then considers the controversies that attachment theory has faced, particularly in the latter half of the 20th century.

scholarly journals Ecological Constraints for Intergenerational Transmission of Attachment

1997 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 287-299 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abraham Sagi ◽  
Marinus H. van IJzendoorn ◽  
Miri Scharf ◽  
Tirtsa Joels ◽  
Nina Koren-Karie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intergenerational Transmission ◽  
Adult Attachment ◽  
Adult Attachment Interview ◽  
Child Rearing ◽  
Attachment Representations ◽  
Ecological Constraints ◽  
Strange Situation ◽  
Home Based ◽  
Sleeping Arrangements

To determine whether the transmission of attachment across generations is free from contextual constraints, adult attachment representations were assessed in two kibbutz settings, home-based and communal sleeping. It was hypothesised that under extreme child-rearing circumstances, such as the communal sleeping arrangement, the transmission of attachment is not evident, whereas in the more regular home-based environment the expected transmission of attachment will be found. The participants were 45 mothers and 45 infants, about equal numbers of boys and girls, from 20 kibbutz infant houses with communal sleeping arrangements, and from 25 kibbutz infant houses with home-based sleeping arrangements. Mothers were administered the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI), and infants were assessed through the Ainsworth Strange Situation. Among the home-based pairs, a correspondence of 76% was found between AAI and Strange Situation classifications, whereas the correspondence was only 40% in the communal sleeping group. It is argued that living in a communal sleeping arrangement reduces the expected transmission of attachment.

scholarly journals Emotioner og konflikter i parforholdet: En systematisk gennemgang af den nyeste forskning om tilknytningens betydning

2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (24) ◽  
pp. 39
Author(s):  
Stephanie Green Lauridsen ◽  
Kathrine G. Nissen ◽  
Mette Skovgaard Væver
Keyword(s):  
Romantic Relationships ◽  
Attachment Theory ◽  
Adult Attachment ◽  
Close Relationships ◽  
Adult Attachment Interview ◽  
Conflict Behavior ◽  
Emotional Processes ◽  
Attachment Pattern ◽  
Suitable Framework ◽  
The Impact

Hvordan håndterer vi negative emotioner, og hvordan påvirker det konflikter i nære relationer? Tilknytningsteorien er velegnet som en ramme til at beskrive og forstå, hvordan voksne håndterer emotioner og konflikter i parforholdet. Artiklen evaluerer på baggrund af en systematisk litteratursøgning den nyeste forskning, der er publiceret i perioden 2000 – 2015, og som undersøger sammenhængen mellem voksnes tilknytningsmønstre (AAI) og den måde, som voksne håndterer konflikter i parforholdsrelationen. Ti studier opfyldte inklusionskriterierne. Reviewet viste, at i ni ud af ti studier har tilknytningsmønsteret betydning for konfliktadfærden i parforholdet. Således at utrygt tilknyttede viser en mere negativ adfærd, såsom kritik og afvisninger, hvor trygt tilknyttede viser en mere positiv adfærd, såsom empati og åbenhed. Desuden vil utrygt tilknyttede vise en mindre effektiv omsorgsadfærd, da utrygt tilknyttede er mindre bevidste om partnerens følelser og intentioner, hvor trygt tilknyttede vil respondere sensitivt og nøjagtigt på partnerens behov. Med det lave antal af inkluderede studier taget i betragtning, så ses der en tendens til, at tilknytningsmønsteret hos voksne i 30’erne guider konfliktadfærden i parforholdet. Tilknytningsteorien og den empiriske forskning i konfliktadfærd giver sundhedsprofessionelle indsigt i emotionelle processer og kan være med til at svare på, hvorfor nogle par sammenlignet med andre bliver fanget i uhensigtsmæssige strategier i konflikter. Det er relevant for den videre forskning at undersøge, om tilknytningsteoriens hypoteser kan generaliseres på tværs af generationer. Emotions and conflicts in adult close relationships: A systematic review of the impact of adult attachment on conflict behavior. How do we deal with negative emotions, and how do they affect conflicts in close relationships? Attachment theory is a suitable framework to describe and understand how adults handle emotions and conflicts in their relationships. This article is based on a systematic literature search identifying recent research, i.e., published from 2000 till 2015, which examines attachment pattern with the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI), and the way couples manage conflicts in their romantic relationships. The review shows that in nine out of ten studies the attachment pattern guides the couples’ behaviour during conflicts in romantic relationships. Insecurely attached couples showed more negative behaviour, such as criticism and rejection, whereas securely attached couples showed a more positive behaviour, such as empathy and openness. Likewise, insecurely attached couples showed less effective caregiving behaviour, whereas securely attached couples responded sensitively and accurately to the needs of their partners. Bearing in mind the small number of included studies, it is seen that there is a tendency for the attachment pattern in adults in their thirties to guide their behavior during conflicts in their relationships. Attachment theory and empirical research on conflict behavior give health professionals insight into emotional processes, and can help answer why some couples become trapped in inappropriate strategies during conflicts. Though there is a noticeable trend, there is a need for further research, due to the small number of studies.

scholarly journals The Collaboration on Attachment Transmission Synthesis (CATS): A Move to the Level of Individual-Participant-Data Meta-Analysis

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 199-206 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marije L. Verhage ◽  
Carlo Schuengel ◽  
Robbie Duschinsky ◽  
Marinus H. van IJzendoorn ◽  
R. M. Pasco Fearon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Attachment Theory ◽  
Intergenerational Transmission ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Individual Participant Data ◽  
Initiation Phase ◽  
Attachment Research ◽  
Individual Participant ◽  
Community Of Researchers ◽  
Meta Analyses

Generations of researchers have tested and used attachment theory to understand children’s development. To bring coherence to the expansive set of findings from small-sample studies, the field early on adopted meta-analysis. Nevertheless, gaps in understanding intergenerational transmission of individual differences in attachment continue to exist. We discuss how attachment research has been addressing these challenges by collaborating in formulating questions and pooling data and resources for individual-participant-data meta-analyses. The collaborative model means that sharing hard-won and valuable data goes hand in hand with directly and intensively interacting with a large community of researchers in the initiation phase of research, deliberating on and critically reviewing new hypotheses, and providing access to a large, carefully curated pool of data for testing these hypotheses. Challenges in pooling data are also discussed.

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