Adult Attachment Theory, Research, and Clinical Implications

by Rholes, W. Steven; Simpson, Jeffry A.

• ISBN13: 9781593850470
• ISBN10: 1593850476
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2004-07-12
• Publisher: The Guilford Press

Summary

With contributions from leading investigators, this volume presents important theoretical and empirical advances in the study of adult attachment. Chapters take stock of the state of knowledge in the field and introduce new, testable theoretical models to guide future research. Major topics covered include stability and change of attachment orientations across the lifespan; influences of attachment on cognitive functioning; and implications for the ways individuals experience intimacy, conflict, caregiving, and satisfaction in adult relationships. Also explored are the ways attachment theory and research can inform therapy with couples and can further understanding of such significant clinical problems as PTSD and depression.

Author Biography

W. Steven Rholes, PhD, is Professor and Head of the Department of Psychology at Texas A&M University. He has conducted research programs in social cognition, children's social development, and adult attachment since receiving a degree in psychology from Princeton University in 1978. 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 decade, the impact of attachment styles on emotional support sought and provided by members of romantic couples has been the central focus of his research program. Dr. Rholes has also served in two administrative positions, department chair and associate dean, during this period.

Jeffry A. Simpson, PhD, is Professor of Psychology at the University of Minnesota. Formerly, he was Professor of Psychology at Texas A&M University. Dr. Simpson received his doctorate in psychology from the University of Minnesota in 1986. His research focuses on interpersonal relationships, evolution and social behavior, and social influence, and he serves as Associate Editor for the [i]Journal of Personality and Social Psychology[/i].

Table of Contents

PART I Introduction
New Directions and Emerging Issues in Adult Attachment
Attachment Theory: Basic Concepts and Contemporary Questions	3	(14)
W. Steven Rholes
Jeffry A. Simpson
PART II Attachment Processes across the Lifespan
Continuity, Discontinuity, Change, and Measurement Issues
What Do Self-Report Attachment Measures Assess?	17	(38)
Phillip R. Shaver
Mario Mikulincer
What Does It Mean to Be Attached?	55	(31)
Cindy Hazan
Nurit Gur-Yaish
Mary Campa
A Dynamical Systems Approach to Conceptualizing and Studying Stability and Change in Attachment Security	86	(47)
R. Chris Fraley
Claudia Chloe Brumbaugh
Predictors of Change in Attachment Security during Adulthood	133	(26)
Joanne Davila
Rebecca J. Cobb
PART III Intrapersonal Aspects of Attachment
Cognitive Organization, Structure, and Information Processing
Security-Based Self-Representations in Adulthood: Contents and Processes	159	(37)
Mario Mikulincer
Phillip R. Shaver
Working Models of Attachment: New Developments and Emerging Themes	196	(44)
Nancy L. Collins
AnaMarie C. Guichard
Maire B. Ford
Brooke C. Feeney
Psychobiological Perspectives on Attachment: Implications for Health over the Lifespan	240	(27)
Lisa M. Diamond
Angela M. Hicks
PART IV Interpersonal Aspects of Attachment
Intimacy, Conflict, Caregiving, and Satisfaction
Conflict in Adult Close Relationships: An Attachment Perspective	267	(33)
Paula R. Pietromonaco
Dara Greenwood
Lisa Feldman Barrett
Interpersonal Safe Haven and Secure Base Caregiving Processes in Adulthood	300	(39)
Brooke C. Feeney
Nancy L. Collins
Adult Attachment and Relationship Functioning under Stressful Conditions: Understanding Partners' Responses to Conflict and Challenge	339	(28)
Judith A. Feeney
PART V Clinical and Applied Issues
Therapy, Psychopathology, and Well-Being
Attachment Theory: A Guide for Healing Couple Relationships	367	(21)
Susan M. Johnson
Attachment-Related Trauma and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Implications for Adult Adaptation	388	(20)
Roger Kobak
Jude Cassidy
Yair Ziv
Anxious Attachment and Depressive Symptoms: An Interpersonal Perspective	408	(30)
Jeffry A. Simpson
W. Steven Rholes
Attachment Styles and Intrapersonal Adjustment: A Longitudinal Study from Adolescence into Young Adulthood	438	(29)
M. Lynne Cooper
Austin W. Albino
Holly K. Orcutt
Natalie Williams
Index	467