Psychologist John Bowlby described attachment as a “…lasting psychological connectedness between human beings" that impacts behavior "from the cradle to the grave." Attachment has been the subject of considerable research by social psychologists who have demonstrated that patterns established in childhood have an important impact on later relationships. For example, researchers Hazen and Shaver (1987) found a number of different beliefs about relationships among adults with differing attachment styles. Securely attached adults tend to believe that romantic love is enduring. Ambivalently attached adults report falling in love often, while those with avoidant attachment styles describe love as rare and temporary. While we cannot say that infant attachment styles are identical to adult romantic-attachment styles, research has shown that early attachment styles can help predict patterns of behavior in adulthood.

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Related Topics: Attachment Styles | Attachment Style Quiz