Attachment

A key perspective found in Developmental Psychology is Attachment Theory. Some individuals appear to attach securely: when they enter into close relationships they are not overwhelmed by negative emotions, they have a positive outlook on the potential for love to be found and for love to last, and they are readily able to support and receive support in their relationships without feeling the need to withdraw and without becoming overly ‘clingy’ and making desperate attempts to receive affection from their partners. Attachment theory deals initially with how infants attach to their primary caregivers, but the theory also has strong implications on how adults attach in romantic relationships. In order to understand the nature of attachments, I feel that an understanding of infant attachment will form an extremely helpful backdrop onto which to build further understanding of adult attachment styles. In the opening pages of this section I will therefore outline attachment theory as it pertains to infant attachment, before moving on to discuss attachment in adult relationships.