Origins
Bowlby argued that the attachment system evolved because staying near a caregiver protected vulnerable infants. Ainsworth's Strange Situation procedure, in which a child experiences brief separations and reunions, led to the description of secure and insecure patterns of behaviour, later widened to include a disorganised pattern.
Attachment in adults
In the 1980s, researchers began applying these ideas to romantic relationships. Adult attachment is now usually described along two dimensions: anxiety about being abandoned, and avoidance of closeness. Treating these as continuous dimensions has generally proved more accurate than sorting people into fixed types.
What is contested
Early attachment predicts later outcomes only modestly, and later experiences can change it. Researchers also debate how much the patterns reflect temperament and genes, how well they apply across cultures, and how far popular attachment labels outrun the research. No online quiz can establish anyone's early history.
Further reading
- Bowlby, J. (1969). Attachment and loss: Vol. 1. Attachment. Basic Books.
- Ainsworth, M. D. S., Blehar, M. C., Waters, E., & Wall, S. (1978). Patterns of attachment: A psychological study of the Strange Situation. Erlbaum.
- Hazan, C., & Shaver, P. (1987). Romantic love conceptualized as an attachment process. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 52, 511-524.