Attachment is the emotional bond that forms between the infant and the caregiver , and it is how the helpless infant gets primary needs met. It then becomes an engine of subsequent social, emotional, and cognitive development. An infant's early social experience stimulates the growth of the brain and can influence the formation of stable relationships with others.
Attachment provides the infant's first coping system; it sets up a mental representation of the caregiver in an infant's mind, which can be summoned as a comforting mental presence in difficult moments. Attachment allows an infant to separate from the caregiver without distress and explore the world around her.
Neuroscientists believe that attachment is such a primal need that there are networks of neurons in the brain dedicated to setting it in motion in the first place and a hormone — oxytocin —that fosters the process.
Attachment styles are not immutable; they can change substantially over time, research suggests, and may differ from relationship to relationship. Enduring a terrible relationship might lead to a less secure attachment orientation; a history of supportive relationships may lead to increased security. Therapy —providing a safe connection and an opportunity to learn relational skills—may also be helpful.
Key Takeaways
- Attachment affects mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing
- Understanding attachment is the first step toward managing it
- Evidence-based approaches can significantly improve outcomes
- Building daily habits is more effective than one-time interventions
Attachment in Early Life
Attachment develops through everyday interactions as a caregiver attends to an infant's needs. The bond between infant and caregiver is usually so well established before the end of the first year of life that it is possible to test the nature and quality of the bond at that time.
As a result of their work with many child-caregiver pairs, researchers have described several basic patterns of attachment. In their studies, researchers briefly separate young children from their caregivers and observe their behavior before and after they are reunited with the caregivers.
A majority of children tend to show “secure” attachment behavior in studies, while others seem “insecure,” showing one of the other patterns.
Secure attachment in children has been theorized to result from sensitive, responsive caregiving and insecurity from its lack. While there is evidence that parenting can influence attachment security , it’s also clear that other factors—including genetics —play a formative role.
British psychoanalyst John Bowlby proposed that children’s attachment behaviors (such as showing distress at a parent’s absence) are part of an evolved behavioral system that helps ensure they are cared for. Psychologist Mary Ainsworth later began to experimentally study variations in how children respond to separation from parents. Others have expanded attachment theory to adult relationships.
Abuse and trauma in childhood may hinder the development of secure attachment and may be predictive of attachment insecurity later in life. In cases of severe neglect or mistreatment, a child may develop reactive attachment disorder , characterized by difficulty forming a bond with caregivers.
Attachment Styles in Adulthood
Attachment security and behaviors have been studied in adult relationships, and attachment-related patterns that differ between individuals are commonly called "attachment styles." There seems to be an association between a person’s attachment characteristics early in life and in adulthood, but the correlations are far from perfect.
Many adults feel secure in their relationships and comfortable depending on others (echoing “secure” attachment in children). Others tend to feel anxious about their connection with close others—or prefer to avoid getting close to them in the first place. Studies of persons with borderline personality disorder , characterized by a longing for intimacy and a hypersensitivity to rejection, have shown a high prevalence and severity of insecure attachment.
Attachment styles in adulthood have labels similar to those used to describe attachment patterns in children:
However, attachment styles may be better thought of as dimensional, where a person rates as relatively high, low, or somewhere in the middle in their levels of attachment-related anxiety and attachment-related avoidance. Also, a person may not exhibit the same kind of attachment pattern in every close relationship.
Insecure attachment can manifest in various ways. A person may have high attachment anxiety if she worries a lot about being abandoned or uncared for. This is measurable by one’s agreement with statements such as “I worry about being alone” and “I often worry that romantic partners don’t really love me." Someone high in attachment avoidance likely worries about other people getting “too close.”
People with a secure attachment style tend to fare better on outcomes such as relationship stability and sexual satisfaction, research suggests, and may be less likely to engage in disruptive acts such as partner surveillance or harmful sexual behavior.
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly is attachment?
Attachment is the emotional bond that forms between the infant and the caregiver , and it is how the helpless infant gets primary needs met. It then becomes an engine of subsequent social, emotional, and cognitive development. An infant's early social experience stimulates the growth of the brain and can influence the formation of stable relationships with others.
Is attachment a serious condition?
Attachment exists on a spectrum. While mild forms are a normal part of life, persistent or severe attachment can significantly impact daily functioning and quality of life. It's important to seek professional support if attachment is interfering with work, relationships, or wellbeing.
Learn More
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