Throughout our history, researchers have studied various behaviors, emotions, and expectations among women and men in intimate relationships. These behaviors, emotions, and expectations were characterized into several different attachment styles. What is an attachment style? An attachment style is identified by how individuals create a short or long-term interpersonal relationship. These attachment styles were originally identified in the attachments a mother and child create during child rearing.
Attachment theory and romantic relationship The most salient person variable with regards to interpersonal relationships is the contact of attachment style, which is theoretically grounded in Bowlby's attachment theory. Attachment theory posits that when an infant is separated from the primary caregiver or attachment figure (usually the mother). A set of behaviors will ensue which serve the function of regaining proximity to the caregiver. This is known as the separation protest behavioral system (Bowlby, 1973). Separation protest is unique to attachment relationships.
It is interesting however that they found no differences in jealousy between sexes, when previous research has shown differences between sexes. But, it is not clear which aspects of jealousy they focused on and differences between sexes were found with emotional and sexual infidelity. This may have not been the type of jealousy they focused their study on. Bevan, J. (n.d.).
Our attachment style is how we relate to ourselves, God, and others. There are four main attachment styles: avoidant, ambivalent, disorganized, and secure. The avoidant attachment style has a high view of self and a distrust for others. The opposite of that is the ambivalent attachment style: a poor view of self and a dependence on others. The disorganized attachment style does not trust themselves or others.
They are dismissive-avoidant attachment, anxious-preoccupied attachment and fearful-avoidant attachment style. A dismissive/ avoidant adult is often uncomfortable with closeness, and has difficulty trusting others. They like to feel independent, self-sufficient and have an inability recalling details about their childhood. A preoccupied/ anxious adult has insecurities in relationships and often craves intimacy and closeness. Lastly, fearfully attached adults are characterized as being uncomfortable with intimacy and commitment as a result of memories of previous traumas.
The paper mainly focuses on the conceptual framework of Attachment theory as well as attachment style of a client with Self-esteem issues that helps in the case formulation and treatment plan in Cognitive Behavioural Theory (CBT). Attachment style can be explained as an emotional connection of one person with another. The aim of this research study is to evaluate an association between attachment theory and cognitive behavioural approaches, explicitly pointing out similarities as well as differences between both. For the research analysis, qualitative research methodology has been selected for which distinctive previous researches, books and journal article resources has been examined as the gathered evidences are based on attachment theory
Attachment style affects everything from selecting a partner, to the quality of the relationship, and how the relationship ends, which is why it is important to determine one’s attachment style so as to understand one’s strengths and weaknesses in a relationship. The attachment style which is carried from childhood continues to affect future adult romantic relationships, often it can be changed especially when one enters a romantic
To address the concept of attachment as outlined by John Bowlby (1953), the author shall define attachment theory and behaviour; look at some key influences on Bowlby that led to the development of attachment theory; discuss some key concepts involved and the implications for understanding child and adolescent behaviour. Attachment theory is a psychological theory and a biological drive which has evolved to safeguard the survival of the defenceless young (Prior and Glaser 2006). Proximity to an attachment figure is sought when the child senses threat or discomfort. Attachment behaviour, according to Bowlby, is “a form of behaviour that results in a person attaining or maintaining proximity to some other clearly identified individual who is
According to a study done in 2015 on attachment and its impact on commitment and adult attachment in the workplace, researchers tested the impact of attachment on the workplace through the utilization of Adult Attachment Interview (AAI), organizational commitment (OC), and adult attachment in the workplace (AAW). As a result, they found that secure attachment style was positively related to affective and normative commitment, while preoccupied and avoidant styles was negatively related to affective commitment (Scrima, Di Stefano, Guarnaccia, & Lorito, 2015). Just like attachment can predict the commitment between an individual and the workplace, attachment style was found to correlate with relationships and individual work performance and behavior. According to a study that was conducted, they found that anxious/ambivalent attachments were associated with poorer work performance (Hazan and Shaver, 1990). Their results revealed that avoidantly attached individuals tended to be overinvolved with work which resulted in effective work performance but disrupted home life, while anxious/ambivalent scale correlated significantly with reported anxiety about work performance and relationships at work.
(1992). Sex differences in jealousy: Evolution, physiology and psychology. Psychological Science, 3 (4), 251-255. Hamilton, W. D. (1964). The genetical evolution of social behaviour.