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Attachment

The emotional bond that typically forms between infant and caregiver, usually a parent, not only stimulates brain growth but affects personality development and lifelong ability to form stable relationships. Neuroscientists now believe that attachment is such a primal need that there are networks of neurons in the brain dedicated to it, and the process of forming lasting bonds is powered in part by the hormone oxytocin.

A Basic Need

Attachment Security: Born or Made?

Is attachment security born or made?

by Jay Belsky, Ph.D. in A Family Affair

In the Name of Love

Getting to that thing called love.

by Susan Johnson,Hara Estroff Marano

Love Isn't Blind

How to form an enduring bond.

by Hara Estroff Marano

Hold Me Tight

Love demands the reassurance of touch.

by Sue Johnson

The Lessons of Love

Those who fall in love most readily have a history of insecure attachment.

by Beth Livermore

The Forgotten Step in Attachment: Negotiation

"Five more minutes": is that plea related to attachment?

by Jean Mercer, Ph.D. in Child Myths

The Other Mother - Who Is She?

"Your adoptive children will not bond to you."

by Meredith Resnick, M.A., M.S.W., L.C.S.W. in Adoption Stories

See Also

The Many Faces of Attachment

Raising Baby: What You Need to Know

Parental behavior drives baby's intellectual and emotional growth.

by Joanna Lipari

Cyberspace: Love Online

When does chatting become cheating?

by Hara Estroff Marano

Dumped, But Not Down

Learning to brave even the biggest brush-offs.

by Carlin Flora

Cubicle Crush

Why you love your co-worker.

by Carlin Flora

Tend and Befriend

When the going gets tough, women seek out others; men shoot.

by Nancy K. Dess

Legacy of Childhood on Attachment Security in Aging Adults

Childhood experience affects security among aging adults.

by Jay Belsky, Ph.D. in A Family Affair

Dimensions of Human Connection: People, Pets, and Prayers

Humans draw upon diverse sources for relationship opportunities.

by John T. Cacioppo, Ph.D. in Loneliness

The Double-Edged Sword Of Attachment

How to manage the loss of our attachments

by Alex Lickerman, M.D. in Happiness in this World

When Attachment Goes Awry

Friends With Benefits

Advice on hooking up, clingy moms, and more.

by Hara Estroff Marano

How to Save Your Relationship

Rebuilding intimacy must start with partners soothing each other.

by Susan Johnson,Aviva Patz

Anatomy of a Violent Relationship

Some batterers are like pit bulls, other like cobras.

by Neil S. Jacobson,John M. Gottman

The Lion Tamer

Steven Stosny defuses rage by teaching people how to connect.

by Cecilia Capuzzi Simon

The Latest on Attachment

Canine social support provides limited benefits to lonely people by Timothy A. Pychyl, Ph.D.
Professional psychological association gleefully disparages single people by Bella DePaulo, Ph.D.
Growing apart from parents is hard for the only child. by Carl Pickhardt, Ph.D.
It's hazy, it's confusing... so why's ambiguity such a good thing? by Dana Goldman
Mistaken expectations can cause trouble for adoptive families. by Jean Mercer, Ph.D.
There may be a correlation between porn and social anxiety. by Marnia Robinson
Fathers reduce children's rate of aggression, delinquency and future crimes. by Marisa Mauro, Psy.D.
Here's what PBS missed about friendship by Bella DePaulo, Ph.D.
Becoming attached to caregivers helps babies learn. by Jean Mercer, Ph.D.
We communicate needs, thoughts, and feeling through body language. by Joe Navarro, M.A.

Attachment Blogs

Current Issue

Heartbreak and Home Runs: The Power of First Experiences

How early life experiences shape our character.