Attachment networks and the future of attachment theory

Abstract

Attachment theorists have long recognized that multiple attachments characterize the typical experience of most children. But an appreciation of attachment networks is new, and this commentary draws on some of the most theoretically provocative themes of the contributions to this special issue. These include: how the quality of attachment relationships and the contexts of their development colors the security derived from them and the developmental outcomes they influence; the impact of relationships on other relationships in the attachment network; and the multiple ways attachment theory can influence public policy for children and families.

Sensitive responsiveness and multiple caregiving networks among Mbendjele BaYaka hunter-gatherers: Potential implications for psychological development and well-being.

“…The narrow focus on mothers in attachment research has limited our understanding of the role of multiple caregiving networks (Thompson, 2021). We found in both age groups children were typically in proximity with 14 caregivers per day, of whom 7–8 were sources of physical contact and close care; infants under 1.5 years old had 3–4 allomothers who responded to crying and 1.5- to 4-year-olds had 1–2.…”

“…The need to move caregiving and attachment research beyond the mother–infant bond toward an understanding of multiple caregiving networks has been increasingly stressed by developmental psychologists (Forslund et al, 2022; Thompson, 2021; van Ijzendoorn, 2005). Recent studies of paternal attachment have shown that attachments beyond the mother are possible, can be formed via domain-specific caregiving rather than requiring involvement in all aspects of care, and can be psychologically beneficial (Dagan & Sagi-Schwartz, 2021; Grossmann et al, 2002; Schmidt et al, 2021).…”

Unveiling the Interplay of Depression, Antidepressants, and Cognitive Patterns: A Review of Silent Schemas in Mental Health Struggles

“…These surveys vary in their focus on aggregated symptoms or individual cognitions. Bowlby's theory of internal working models suggests that detecting thought clusters can reveal cognitive schemas and developmental traumas (Thompson, 2021). Analyzing cognition's degree and substance is essential to understanding how medicine and cognitive therapy manage depressive symptoms.…”

A perspective-based analysis of attachment from prenatal period to second year postnatal life

“…The caregiver’s ability to respond to the infant’s needs plays a crucial role in the formation of the attachment behavioral system. However, it is not the only determining factor in establishing an attachment style ( Cassidy et al, 2013 ; Thompson, 2021 ). The latter is recognizable by the end of the second year and is conceptualized into two macro-categories: secure and insecure attachment, depending on whether repeated experiences of interaction with the primary caregiver have been characterized by parental sensitivity and availability or parental irresponsiveness and/or inconsistency, respectively ( Ainsworth, 1967 ; Bowlby, 1969/1982 ; Ainsworth et al, 1978 ).…”