Attachment Theory and Research

This volume showcases the latest theoretical and empirical work from some of the top scholars in attachment. Extending classic themes and describing important new applications, the book examines several ways in which attachment processes help explain how people think, feel, and behave in different situations and at different stages in the life cycle. Topics include the effects of early experiences on adult relationships; new developments in neuroscience and genetics; attachment orientations and parenting; connections between attachment and psychopathology, as well as health outcomes; and the relationship of attachment theory and processes to clinical interventions.

Jeffry A. Simpson, PhD, is Professor of Psychology and Director of the Doctoral Minor in Interpersonal Relationships at the University of Minnesota. His research interests include adult attachment processes; human mating; idealization, empathic accuracy, and social influence in relationships; and effects of interpersonal experiences earlier in life on adult health and relationship outcomes. He is a recipient of the Berscheid-Hatfield Award for Distinguished Mid-Career Achievement from the International Association for Relationships Research and the Carol and Ed Diener Award in Social Psychology from the Society for Personality and Social Psychology. Dr. Simpson is the President of the International Association for Relationship Research. W. Steven Rholes, PhD, is Professor of Psychology at Texas A&M University, where he has served as both department head and associate dean. His research interests include social cognition, children's social development, and adult attachment. In 1992, along with his colleague Jeffry Simpson, Dr. Rholes published one of the first studies to confirm predictions about avoidant attachment style, using behavioral observations as evidence. For the past 20 years, the central focus of his research program has been the impact of attachment styles on emotional support sought and provided by members of romantic couples, with more recent research focusing on couples during the transition to parenthood.

"Nearly a half-century after the publication of the first volume of John Bowlby's landmark trilogy, attachment theory continues to grow in depth and applicability. Simpson and Rholes have assembled an outstanding selection of timely and thought-provoking chapters. This book does much more than review recent work in the field--it sets the agenda for the next generation of attachment theory and research."--Harry T. Reis, PhD, Department of Clinical and Social Sciences in Psychology, University of Rochester "Simpson and Rholes have gathered a stellar cast of contributors to produce a cutting-edge volume dealing with one of the most vibrant and central domains in psychology. This book is a wonderful interdisciplinary feast for anyone wanting to learn about current directions in attachment theory and how it is being integrated and applied across social and clinical psychology, neuroscience, health psychology, and human sexuality. Bravo!"--Garth Fletcher, PhD, School of Psychology, Victoria University Wellington, New Zealand "A major contribution! What is most noteworthy is that the individual chapters all go well beyond the standard review of the literature. Instead, they break new theoretical ground and chart future directions. The book is ambitious and thoughtful, and brings together many of the top scholars in the field today. It is chock full of creative ways of thinking about the role of attachment in human social functioning, making it destined to be cited for many years to come."--Joseph P. Allen, PhD, Hugh P. Kelly Professor of Psychology, University of Virginia "This wonderful book is a landmark contribution to what is known about adult attachment. The superb chapters consolidate classic ideas and recent research, while each contributor identifies key directions for future research. This volume is for anyone interested in understanding how deep-seated (in)securities fundamentally shape the way we interpret and respond to what others do over the course of daily interactions in intimate relationships, parent