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.

Attachment Theory and Brief Psychotherapy: Applying Current Research to Clinical Interventions

1989 ◽  
Vol 34 (5) ◽  
pp. 369-375 ◽  
Author(s):  
Malcolm West ◽  
Adreenne Sheldon ◽  
Linda Redtfer
Keyword(s):  
Attachment Theory ◽  
Interpersonal Relationships ◽  
Clinical Intervention ◽  
Insecure Attachment ◽  
Brief Psychotherapy ◽  
Attachment Figure ◽  
Attachment Relationships ◽  
Attachment Research ◽  
Representational Model ◽  
The Individual

Recent advances in attachment research provide a framework for defining the content and process of brief psychotherapy with adults. Attachment theory emphasizes a number of issues crucial to therapeutic work. Specifically, attachment relationships are enduring components of a individual's pattern of interpersonal behaviours. Functionally, attachment relationships address security needs. Insecure attachment arises from a representational model based on feared loss of the attachment figure, which predisposes the individual to have little confidence in the attachment figure's availability, responsiveness, and permanence. Behavioural responses to insecure attachment can lead to specific patterns of interpersonal relationships which, in turn, strengthen the representational model. Thus, a relatively stable, self-reinforcing system evolves and results in a consistent inability to experience security within attachment relationships. In this article, the authors describe the current framework for understanding adult attachment relationships and present clinical vignettes illustrating the saliency of attachment theory to common clinical presentations. The goal of the clinical intervention is defined as increasing the “permeability” of the individual's working model of attachment through affective and cognitive re-assessment of attachment experiences and expectations. Finally, the utility of this approach in evaluating the outcome and effectiveness of psychotherapy is highlighted.

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.

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.

New directions in attachment theory and research

2010 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 163-172 ◽  
Author(s):  
Phillip R. Shaver ◽  
Mario Mikulincer
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Attachment Theory ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Behavioral Systems ◽  
Adult Relationships ◽  
Attachment Research ◽  
New Directions ◽  
Further Development

The goal of this special issue is to take stock of attachment theory and research as it applies to adolescent and adult relationships. We briefly summarize and comment on the 12 articles included in the issue, placing them into four thematic categories: (i) attachment theory and research viewed from a life history perspective; (ii) biological bases of attachment processes; (iii) relations between the attachment system and other behavioral systems; and (iv) extensions of attachment research in applied directions. Taken together, the 12 articles provide an exciting foundation for future research on attachment and further development of attachment theory.

scholarly journals Attachment and relationships: Milestones and future directions

2010 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 173-180 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffry A. Simpson ◽  
W. Steven Rholes
Keyword(s):  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Attachment Theory ◽  
Adult Attachment ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
The Past

Adult attachment researchers have made important strides during the past 25 years in testing and applying attachment theory to multiple personal and interpersonal domains. We highlight some of the major milestones and then propose several directions for future research. Some of the most important and promising directions include testing additional normative processes implied by attachment theory, developing and testing critical connections between attachment theory and other major interpersonal theories, and identifying pathways between attachment processes and long-term health outcomes.

scholarly journals Measuring attachment and parental bonding in psychosis and its clinical implications

2014 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 142-149 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Mathews ◽  
J. Onwumere ◽  
S. Bissoli ◽  
M. Ruggeri ◽  
E. Kuipers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Attachment Theory ◽  
Attachment Style ◽  
Attachment Styles ◽  
Parental Bonding ◽  
Insecure Attachment ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Clinical Implications ◽  
Term Outcome ◽  
Long Term Outcome

Background.Attachment theory proposes that psychological functioning and affect regulations are influenced by the attachment we form with others. Early relationships with parents or caregivers lay the foundations for attachment styles. These styles are proposed to influence how we relate to others during our life can be modified by the relationships and events we experience in our lifespan. A secure attachment style is associated with a capacity to manage distress, comfort with autonomy and the ability to form relationships with others, whereas insecure attachment can lead to dysfunctional relationships, emotional and behaviour avoidance. Attachment theory provides a useful framework to inform our understanding of relationship difficulties in people with psychosis. This paper aims to complement recent systematic reviews by providing an overview of attachment theory, its application to psychosis, including an understanding of measurement issues and the clinical implications offered.Method.A narrative review was completed of the measures of attachment and parental bonding in psychosis. Its clinical implications are also discussed. The paper also explores the link between insecure attachment styles and illness course, social functioning and symptomatology. The following questions are addressed: What are the key attachment measures that have been used within the attachment and psychosis literature? What are the results of studies that have measured attachment or parental bonding in psychosis and what clinical implications can we derive from it? What are some of the key questions for future research from these findings in relation to the onset of psychosis research field?Results.The most commonly used measures of attachment in psychosis research are reviewed. Self-report questionnaires and semi-structured interviews have mainly been used to examine attachment styles in adult samples and in recent years comprise a measure specifically developed for a psychosis group. The review suggests that insecure attachment styles are common in psychosis samples. Key relationships were observed between insecure, avoidant and anxious attachment styles and psychosis development, expression and long-term outcome.Conclusions.Attachment theory can provide a useful framework to facilitate our understanding of interpersonal difficulties in psychosis that may predate its onset and impact on observed variability in outcomes, including treatment engagement. Greater attention should be given to the assessment of attachment needs and to the development of interventions that seek to compensate for these difficulties. However, further investigations are required on specifying the exact mechanisms by which specific attachment styles impact on the development of psychosis and its course.

Older age as a time to contribute: a scoping review of generativity in later life

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-22
Author(s):  
Feliciano Villar ◽  
Rodrigo Serrat ◽  
Michael W. Pratt
Keyword(s):  
Scoping Review ◽  
Older Persons ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Dark Side ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Cultural Contexts ◽  
The Past ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Methodological Approaches

Abstract Research on later-life generativity has promoted a new view of older persons that, far from the traditional images of disability, dependence and frailty, recognises their capacities, and potential to continue growing, while underlining their participation and contributions to families, communities and society. The goal of this study was to carry out a scoping review on later-life generativity, the first one conducted on this topic as far as we know, to show how studies in this area have evolved, which aspects of generativity in later life have been studied, and the methodological and epistemological approaches that are dominant in this area of inquiry. Our scoping review shows that research into generativity in later life has grown steadily over the past 30 years, and particularly during the last decade. However, our results also show how such growing interest has focused on certain methodological approaches, epistemological frameworks and cultural contexts. We identify four critical gaps and leading-edge research questions that should be at the forefront of future research into generativity in later life, gaps that reflect biases in the existing literature identified in the study. These are classified as methodological, developmental, contextual and ‘dark-side’ gaps.

scholarly journals Evidence for a Cultural Mindset: Combining Process Data, Theory, and Simulation

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
LaTasha R Holden ◽  
Michelle LaMar ◽  
Malcolm Bauer
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Student Performance ◽  
Cognitive Modeling ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Simulation Game ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Sequential Decision ◽  
Process Data ◽  
Cultural Contexts ◽  
And Behavior

The goal of the present work is to build a foundation for understanding cognition and decision-making processes in innovative assessment contexts. Specifically, we will assess students’ Cross-Cultural Competence (3C: see Thomas et al., 2008) through a social simulation game. The present work will use Mindset (i.e., individuals beliefs about whether ability is fixed or changeable, see Dweck, 2006) to ground the project in theory because it has been shown to be a powerful motivator for decision-making and behavior in learning and achievement (Dweck & Leggett; 1988; Dweck, 1999), and in cross-cultural contexts (Dweck, 2012). The novel contribution of this paper is to apply Mindset theory to social situations requiring 3C, thus proposing the notion of cultural mindsets—defined here as the set of beliefs including affect, cognition, and behavior people bring to cross-cultural contexts. In cultural mindset, affect and cognition govern the ease with which people adapt, learn, and update cultural information. Additionally, we argue that cultural mindsets are important mechanisms involved in navigating cross-cultural situations effectively and should be considered more in future research. In order to understand how cultural mindset affects student performance, we will apply a computational cognitive modeling approach using Markov decision process (MDP) models. The MDP approach is appropriate for sequential decision-making in non-deterministic environments—as actions are chosen as part of a plan to achieve goals with the knowledge that some action effects will be probabilistic.

scholarly journals Attachment Theory and the Social Work Curriculum

10.18060/130 ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-48
Author(s):  
Timothy Page ◽  
Rhonda Norwood
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Attachment Theory ◽  
Emotional Regulation ◽  
Emotional Security ◽  
Attachment Behavior ◽  
Social Work Educators ◽  
Self Image ◽  
Current State ◽  
The Social ◽  
Attachment Research

Attachment theory, as developed by Bowlby and Ainsworth, represented a major departure from the current theories of human development of the time, particularly in its rejection of the major tenets of psychoanalytic theory and its integration of core ideas from evolution theory and cybernetics (Ainsworth & Bowlby, 1991). Attachment theory posits that a foundational human instinct, the desire to achieve safety and protection through proximity to a protective figure, is responsible for the formation of a special class of life-long affectional bonds, referred to as “attachments.” Emotional security is derived to a great extent, according to the theory, from experience with caregivers who are consistently responsive to the developing infant’s expression of attachment behavior toward them. Forty years of empirical research has shown that attachment is a universal characteristic that predicts children’s development of cognitive and social competence, emotional regulation, and positive self-image (Weinfield, Sroufe, Egeland, & Carlson, 1999). Social work educators are currently challenged to better integrate the findings of attachment research into their curricula to reflect more the current state of developmental science.

Moving beyond the Basics

2016 ◽  
pp. 24-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia Dickenson ◽  
Martin T. Hall ◽  
Jennifer Courduff
Keyword(s):  
Detailed Analysis ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Participatory Media ◽  
Cultural Contexts ◽  
Participatory Processes ◽  
The Web ◽  
The Way ◽  
Professional Interactions

The evolution of the web has transformed the way persons communicate and interact with each other, and has reformed institutional operations in various sectors. Examining these changes through the theoretical framework Connectivism, provides a detailed analysis of how the web impacts individuals' context within communities as well as the larger society. This chapter examines the evolution of the web and the characteristics of various iterations of the web. A discussion on the emergence of participatory media and other participatory processes provides insight as to how the web influences personal and professional interactions. Research on how the web has changed cultural contexts as well as systems such as education, governments and businesses is shared and analyzed to identify gaps and provide direction for future research.

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