The Legacy of Early Attachments

Abstract

The impact of early close relationships on psychological development is one of the enduring questions of developmental psychology that is addressed by attachment theory and research. This essay evaluates what has been learned, and offers ideas for future research, by examining the origins of continuity and change in the security of attachment early in life, and its prediction of later behavior. The discussion evaluates research on the impact of changing family circumstances and quality of care on changes in attachment security, and offers new hypotheses for future study. Considering the representations (or internal working models) associated with attachment security as developing representations, the discussion proposes that (1) attachment security may be developmentally most influential when the working models with which it is associated have sufficiently matured to influence other emerging features of psychosocial functioning; (2) changes in attachment security are more likely during periods of representational advance; and (3) parent-child discourse and other relational influences shape these developing representations after infancy. Finally, other features of early parent-child relationships that develop concurrently with attachment security, including negotiating conflict and establishing cooperation, also must be considered in understanding the legacy of early attachments.

Religious Attachment and the Sense of Life Purpose among Emerging Adults

“…Holding positive beliefs about God and perceiving God as a close and secure base provides unique physical, mental, well-being and psychological resource benefits for religious individuals. Research has established links between secure attachment and healthy social and romantic relationships that are positively associated with well-being (Thompson 2000;Mikulincer and Shaver 2013). The current study extends this research by examining the specific link between attachment to God and the sense of purpose among emerging adults.…”

“…Life purpose is linked to many other positive life outcomes and is a psychological resource that is particularly salient during the transitions and identify formation taking place during emerging adulthood (Arnett 2000;Thompson 2000;Umberson and Montez 2010;Uecker 2012). Understanding the mechanisms by which individuals develop their sense of life purpose is important for better facilitating positive health and well-being among emerging adults.…”

“…Researchers have theorized that secure attachment during infancy and early adolescence bodes well for the positive development of internal working models which provide youth with a cognitive framework that facilitates confidence, exploration, and independent functioning (Bretherton and Munholland 1999;Thompson 2000). This cognitive framework may aid in building the capacity to form meaningful and healthy social and romantic relationships, as behavior in social interactions mirrors that of the secure attachment relationship.…”

“…Despite the compelling empirical evidence that indicates parental attachment matters for child development, there is still a debate on how fixed attachment patterns are over time and how closely they are linked to well-being outcomes in adulthood (Thompson 2000). Some research highlights stronger contemporaneous associations between attachment and socioemotional adaptation than longitudinal analyses (Thompson 1999).…”

Interações iniciais entre pais, mães e bebês de 0 a 3 anos: Revisão de literatura

“…Assim, observa-se um campo de pesquisa amplo e com formas de abordar, inferir, observar e analisar a relação mãe-bebê muito diferentes entre si, discussão presente na literatura internacional (Keller, 2014;Thompson, 2000) e nacional (Piccinini et al, 2001;Ribas, Seild de Moura, & Ribas Jr, 2003). A literatura indica que, mesmo em diferentes perspectivas teóricas, a interação entre pais e/ou mães e seus bebês pode ser mais amplamente compreendida ao se considerar a reciprocidade e a interdependência entre os fenômenos comportamentais das partes envolvidas, compreendendo-os como bidirecionais.…”