Attachment is an emotional connection between two people; in particular, it’s a connection that develops between children and caregivers. Through the work of Harry Harlow, we learned that a caregiver’s provision of contact comfort is crucial to a child; with the work of Mary Ainsworth, we learned that there are three main types of attachment styles—secure, avoidant, and anxious-resistant—based on their styles of caregiver responses. Therefore, the way in which a caregiver responds relates to how securely a child will develop their attachment to their caregiver.
Attachment styles contribute to establishing early friendships (during childhood) and developing emotional security in later-life romantic relationships (during adulthood). Secure attachment has been shown to lead to more stable and healthier relationships, whereas relationships driven by avoidant or anxious attachment styles may experience difficulty. Furthermore, it’s important to note that each individual’s attachment patterns may continue to change with the addition of new experiences/relationships throughout their lifetime.