The Psychology of Attachment

What do we actually mean by ’attachment’? How do different caregiving styles impact attachment in children? How do early caregiving experiences impact later development?

The Psychology of Attachment is an essential introduction to attachment, offering an accessible explanation of the theory, unpicking common misunderstandings, and providing a balanced overview of key research findings.

Topics covered include the following:

• The development of attachment during the first few years of life
• The impact of different caregiving behaviours on children’s attachment relationships
• The influence of attachment relationships on children’s behaviour and development
• The development of attachment relationships from infancy to adulthood
• Attachment in romantic relationships and religion
• Attachment-based interventions

This unique book introduces the reader to new ways of thinking about the role of relationships, caregiving, and child development, and the way in which they shape our lives.

Robbie Duschinsky is Associate Professor in the Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge. He has conducted research in health and social care, history, and developmental psychology. With Kate White, he is the editor of Trauma and Loss: Key Texts from the John Bowlby Archive (Routledge). He is also the author of Cornerstones of Attachment Research and Mentalization and Epistemic Trust (Oxford University Press).

Tommie Forslund is a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Department of Psychology, Stockholm University. He received the Excellence in Attachment Research (EAR) dissertation award from the Society in Emotion and Attachment Studies (SEAS). He was first author of an international consensus statement, Attachment goes to Court. With Dr Duschinsky, he edited Attachment Theory and Research: A Reader (Wiley).

Pehr Granqvist is Professor of Psychology, Stockholm University. He has more than twenty years of experience conducting and communicating attachment research. He has worked closely with leading researchers in the field of attachment. Following the release of his book Attachment in Religion and Spirituality, he received the 2023 William James Award from the American Psychological Association.