Attachment from Infancy to Adulthood: The Major Longitudinal Studies

Abstract

Attachment theory has come to the forefront, providing an understanding of how people get to be as they are – a belief that the first years of a child’s life and the security of their attachment to their significant caretaker figures determine their future mental health. The editors have, for many years, conducted research into early relationships and followed their subjects over time. They approached the foremost investigators of attachment (23 contributors – 11 studies, from 3 decades of longitudinal studies) and asked them to reflect on how their projects began, the shape it eventually took and how their understandings changed as the projects went forward. What emerges is a very personal account of the research studies, the lessons learned and the investigators’ reflections about the field and where it needs to go from here. The book provides a detailed description of the theoretical constructs beginning with Bowlby. From this, various approaches were developed, beginning with observations in the home, to the development of the laboratory strange situation, to the development of the AAI, an interviewing test. Clearly having a secure base does influence the child’s growth and development, but it is not clear how. There are many happenings that influence the outcome from the child’s temperament, to life events, to much that we don’t yet understand. Security is protective but it is complex and depends on the context - the predominate affect of the caretaking figure, the quality of fit between parent and child, the sensitivity of the material, and care/commitment are all significant. Over time the quality of early life experiences does influence the ability to explore the world, develop peer relationships and, in the long run, develop close intimate adult relationships and on to the next generation and the ability to parent. Both parents play a strong role but in different ways. Of interest to me was the longitudinal study of Kibbutz children who slept away from their parents in the children’s house and were cared for by the “metapalet”. No one was happy with this arrangement and it did not persist. More of these children developed an insecure attachment. If I understand the studies correctly, the attachment was to the group and there were issues in the ability to develop intimate relationships as adults. This is an incredibly rich book. I found it fascinating how the different researchers approached the question of the attachment relationship and mental health development. It is impressive that they have been able to maintain contact with their subjects and follow them over time, from childhood to adulthood and to the next generation. Bottom line is that early relationships are important and shape how people turn out, but not in any specific or predictable way. In many ways, we are just beginning to understand the various influences. Much of the specific details given would be of more interest to researchers rather than clinicians, but I appreciated having the opportunity to share the researchers’ thinking and how they were influenced by their findings. I was left with much hope that even if a child does not experience the most attuned and sensitive caretaking, that through other influences they can mature and bad things don’t have to go to the next generation. It isn’t black or white and there are multiple influences. If one is curious about attachment and its effects over time, I would certainly recommend a read of this book.