Attachment
Attachment research began with infants and caregivers, and it now explains a surprising amount of adult love: how quickly you settle after an argument, how you read a delayed reply, how much reassurance feels like enough. The core idea is simple. Early bonds teach the nervous system what to expect from closeness, and those expectations travel with us.
This topic follows the research on attachment anxiety and avoidance in adult relationships: where the patterns come from, how they show up in daily relating, and what studies find helps them soften. Security, in this literature, is a skill a relationship can practise, not a personality verdict.
Questions this topic explores
- Why do I need so much reassurance in a relationship?
- Can attachment patterns change in adulthood?
- How does attachment anxiety behave in texting and online dating?
- What does a securely attached partner actually do differently?
Explainers in this topic
From the archive
Attachment research runs through the archive, including the Dutton et al. paper on attachment and intimate relationships.
Browse the archive