Attachment

Attachment bonds refer to the relatively enduring and emotionally significant relationships that develop, first between children and parents, and later between adult mated pairs. The propensity to form intimate bonds is considered to be a basic component of human nature that continues throughout the lifespan. Although attachment theory was first formulated to explain the bond that develops between infants and their primary caregivers, John Bowlby, the British psychiatrist responsible for pioneering the theory, asserted that attachment is an integral part of human behavior "from the cradle to the grave" (Bowlby, 1979). This entry focuses on the role of attachment processes in adult intimate relationships.