attachment
uh-TATCH-munt
/əˈtætʃ.mənt/
A deep and enduring emotional bond that connects one person to another across time and space.
In psychology, popularized by John Bowlby, describing primary caregiver-infant bonds that form internal working models for future relationships.
The story behind the word. From Old French 'atachier' (to fasten, attach with a stake). John Bowlby imported the term into mid-20th-century psychoanalysis to describe the survival-driven affectional tie between infants and mothers.
Word relationships
- bond: Bond is a general connection, whereas attachment in psychology specifically denotes primary safety and affection relationships.
- detachment: Detachment implies emotional distance, indifference, or severance of bonds.
Commonly confused with
- dependence: Dependence is reliance on another for survival needs, whereas attachment is an affective emotional security system.
Word family
- attach (verb): To join or bind emotionally or physically.
- attached (adjective): Joined or emotionally connected.
Collocations
- secure attachment
- anxious attachment
- avoidant attachment
- attachment theory
- attachment style
Example sentences
- "Secure attachment in infancy forms the foundation for healthy emotional self-regulation in adulthood." Attachment theory research
Memory hook
ATTACHMENT: ATTACH your heart to a caregiver for safety. The invisible emotional cord connecting child and caregiver.
When not to use
Do not use merely to mean physical joining when discussing psychology; it refers to security and affection ties.
Fun facts
- Mary Ainsworth developed the 'Strange Situation' experiment in the 1970s to classify child attachment styles into Secure, Avoidant, and Resistant.
Related words
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