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Sternberg Adult Attachment Theory

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Relationship between Sternberg's triangular theory of love and types of adult attachment

Love and Attachment
According to Sternberg, the triangular theory of love points out that love can be assumed to be a function of three components that metaphorically can be viewed as forming three vertices of a triangle. The characteristics of love, according to this theory and with regards to the three components, lies within the context of interpersonal relationships (Madey & Rodgers, 2009). The three components of love include;
Intimacy
It comprises the spirits of bondedness, familiarity and connectedness that one is subject to experience in loving relationships. The combination of these feelings give rise to the experiences of warmth in essential …show more content…

However, the two aspects of decision/commitment do not always go together, in that one can decide to love another without necessarily committing to love in the long term; or one may be committed in a relationship without acknowledging love towards or from the other person.
Types of adult attachment styles
Attachment styles can be denoting as the motivational or inspirational approaches essential to social connections. They underpin and explain the variations in how individuals associate with and communicate with those around them. Historically, the early attachment theories predominantly focused on the bonds formed between infant-mother relationships. Subsequent theories stated focusing on parent-child attachments and later relationship between adults in romantic relationships (Berscheid, 2010).
The measure of adult attachment comprises of three attachment styles which include;
Avoidant- a person with this type of attachment is regarded as being afraid of intimacy, and is subject to go through emotional highs and lows in the course of their relationships, and are characterized by much …show more content…

Since the attachment behaviors of infant are organized by a distinctive, goal focused behavior system, the characteristic or type of attachment will pave way or determine the quality of love they are going to have in their adulthood.
It follows that, any disparities in the initial social involvement results in somewhat continuing variances in the styles of relationship, and the three attachment styles pronounced in the child’s literature are demonstrated in adult romantic relationships. In is seen that there is continuousness in attachment style in terms of the determination of inward working representations of oneself and of relationships established during early interactions. This is enough evidence that there is a relevant relationship between Sternberg’s triangular theory of love and adult attachment style in romantic love (Madey & Rodgers,

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