The attachment-forming effects of the first sexual relationship : consequences of dissolution of the first sexual relationship in light of attachment theory

Abstract

"Attachment theory is founded on the premise that early mother-infant relations provide a matrix for an individual’s future relationships with other persons. While this thesis is now universally accepted, it seemed revolutionary in the 1940s and 1950s, in the face of the prevailing psychoanalytical paradigm represented by Melanie Klein, Anna Freud, and others who did not appreciate the significance of external reality in personality formation. Research into attachment was initiated by John Bowlby, who was inspired by ethological studies concerning parental behaviors in mammals. The point of departure for his theory was observation of children separated from their mothers, who had difficulties bonding with a new caregiver. Obstacles to the formation of affectionate and happy relationships by children separated from the mother-figure were corroborated by Bowlby’s student, Mary Ainsworth, who found that such children develop an insecure (avoidant or anxious-ambivalent) attachment style. This is important in that attachment styles are relatively stable, persist in adulthood, and become activated primarily in close (e.g., romantic) relationships (Hazan, Shaver, 1987)." [...] (fragm.)