Attachment Theory and Research

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ross A. Thompson
Keyword(s):  
Attachment Theory ◽  
Developmental Psychopathology ◽  
Social Representations ◽  
Research Priorities ◽  
Research Literature ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Attachment Research ◽  
Early Parent ◽  
Parent Child Relationships ◽  
Parent Child

Attachment theory has long been at the forefront of research efforts to understand the origins and enduring impact of early parent–child relationships. It has also expanded into a theory of lifespan implications with relevance to problems in developmental psychopathology, early intervention, and mental representation. This review of the expanding research literature on attachment is organized around eight questions: (a) To whom do attachments develop? (b) What are the biological foundations of attachment? (c) How does culture influence attachment and its consequences? (d) What contributes to attachments becoming secure or insecure? (e) How does attachment security change over time? (f) What are the later outcomes of secure or insecure attachments? (g) How does attachment influence thinking and social representations? (h) What are the clinical implications of attachment research? The answers to these questions summarize what has been learned about the importance of early parent–child relationships and identify future research priorities.

Early Parent-Child Relationships

2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimberly K. Mathos ◽  
Ray Firth
Keyword(s):  
Early Parent ◽  
Parent Child Relationships ◽  
Parent Child

Is the Mother Essential for Attachment?

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heidi Keller ◽  
Nandita Chaudhary
Keyword(s):  
Attachment Theory ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Universal Model ◽  
Dyadic Relationships ◽  
Individual Child ◽  
Cultural Meanings ◽  
Attachment Figure ◽  
Cultural Contexts ◽  
Overwhelming Evidence ◽  
Attachment Research

Attachment theory is predicated on the assumption of dyadic relationships between a child and one or a few significant others. Despite its recognition of alloparenting in some cultural environments, current attachment research is heavily biased toward the mother as the major attachment figure in the life of the developing child. This chapter presents evidence that diverse childcare arrangements exist in cultures that differ from Western norms and shows how these are equally normative in their respective cultural contexts. In these settings, alloparenting is neither chaotic nor unstable; it is the norm, not the exception. In all environments, infant care is far more than just an isolated, biopsychological phenomenon: it is an activity deeply imbued with cultural meanings, values, and practices. To account for these multiple levels, the construct of attachment must shift its emphasis away from an individual child toward the network of relationships surrounding a child. Overwhelming evidence on diverse childcare arrangements in non-Western cultures calls the putatively universal model of attachment (derived from the Bowlby-Ainsworth paradigm and still widely applied today) into question. In support of future research, this chapter proposes an inclusive reconceptualization of attachment, informed by research from non-Western cultural settings.

Early parent–child relationships and child sleep at school age

2019 ◽  
Vol 64 ◽  
pp. 101057
Author(s):  
Catherine Cimon-Paquet ◽  
Émilie Tétreault ◽  
Annie Bernier
Keyword(s):  
School Age ◽  
Child Sleep ◽  
Early Parent ◽  
Parent Child Relationships ◽  
Parent Child

scholarly journals Is Attachment Theory Consistent with Aboriginal Parenting Realities?

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 65-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raymond Neckoway ◽  
Keith Brownlee ◽  
Bruno Castellan
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Differences ◽  
Attachment Theory ◽  
Parenting Practices ◽  
Attachment Security ◽  
Aboriginal Peoples ◽  
Cultural Groups ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
Sense Of Security ◽  
Parent Child Relationships ◽  
Parent Child

Attachment theory has become one of the most influential models guiding parent-child relationships in programs of prevention, treatment, and education, including programs for Aboriginal parents. However, whether the model can be reliably applied when working with Aboriginal peoples has not yet been established. Studies on attachment security conducted with different cultural groups provide a means of comparing naturally occurring differences in parenting practices and socio-emotional environments of children. These studies report inconsistencies of attachment security across cultures and suggest that consideration should be given to cultural differences when applying attachment theory across cultures. In this article, we analyse the correspondence between attachment theory and descriptions of Aboriginal parenting and question the relevance of attachment theory to Aboriginal parents who do not adhere to the mother-infant dyad as the sole contributor to the child’s sense of security.

scholarly journals Parent-child connectedness : moving beyond traditional attachment theory

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Lechcier-Kimel
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Attachment Theory ◽  
Current Literature ◽  
Critical Analysis ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Gender Culture ◽  
Extensive Evaluation ◽  
Theoretical Foundations ◽  
Parent Child

The present paper provides a systematic review of the current literature on parent-child connectedness (PCC) through a critical analysis of existing research on the topic. By focusing on the numerous ways the construct of PCC extends beyond the scope of traditional attachment theory, this paper attempts to make PCC more relevant to individuals of varied age, gender, culture and socioeconomic backgrounds. An explanation of PCC as a dependent variable is presented as a means of strengthening the understanding of the construct, and an extensive evaluation of its theoretical foundations is included in order to operationalize this understanding. This paper concludes by suggesting the benefit in broadening the awareness of PCC and by providing recommendations for future research.

scholarly journals A Critical Exploration of Child-Parent Attachment as a Contextual Construct

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ya-Hsin Lai ◽  
Sam Carr
Keyword(s):  
Attachment Theory ◽  
Conceptual Development ◽  
Parent Attachment ◽  
Integrative Framework ◽  
Critical Exploration ◽  
Context Specific ◽  
Parent Child Relationships ◽  
Parent Child

Bowlby’s (1969/1982) attachment theory has been employed as a broad and integrative framework to explore human wellness across a range of disciplines. Attachment theory has even been labelled one of the last surviving “grand theories” not to have been completely dismissed, replaced, or extensively reworked (e.g., Carr, 2012; Mercer, 2011). However, despite the ubiquitous nature of some of the theory’s fundamental tenets, there are always possibilities for new conceptual development, extension, and revision. In this paper, we critically explore the idea of “context-specific” attachment within parent-child relationships. We briefly outline critical assumptions and key areas of attachment and articulate potential rationale, conceptualisation, and relevance of contextual attachment.

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