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“The latest edition of the Handbook of Attachment…will be very useful to those who research attachment processes, use attachment theory in their clinical work, or teach courses on attachment….Collectively, the chapters provide ready access to what John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth said and did, what researchers have revealed about their theory, how the measurement of attachment has evolved over time, and how attachment theory informs understanding of relationships, personality, and psychopathology. Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty and professionals.”

—Choice Reviews


“This edition is considered the bible of the attachment field, just as the previous two editions were….This third edition is necessary for anybody interested in the attachment field. With the exponential development in the field, this is the place where the updates are synthesized and organized to be easily accessible.”

—Doody's Review Service


“Has tremendous relevance for clinicians who are interested in the biological, cognitive, and emotional underpinnings of interpersonal relationships, psychopathology, the process of therapy with different clients, and therapeutic change...[and] who wish to understand theory and empirical research relevant to client conceptualization and treatment.”

—Behavior Therapist (on the second edition)


“A comprehensive and scholarly review of a critically important issue in developmentattachment....This well-edited volume includes high-quality contributions from leading theorists and researchers in psychology, psychiatry, and child development....The Handbook of Attachment really is a 'must' reference for anyone seriously interested in attachment theory and its role in development across the life span....Practitioners who use attachment theory in their clinical work will find it enlightening.”

—Journal of Clinical Psychiatry (on the first edition)


“This is an impressive, comprehensive volume which explores a wide range of attachment topics. It should be considered an essential reference book for mental health practitioners who provide treatment to people of all ages.”

—Psychoanalytic Social Work (on the first edition)


“This third edition of Cassidy and Shaver's Handbook will be an instant classic, like prior editions. The contributors are a 'who's who' in the field. The chapter coverage is exhaustive and timely in its treatment of long-standing and emerging issues in attachment theory and research, such as measurement, biological influences, interventions, and special populations. I use this handbook as the main text in a doctoral seminar on attachment theory and research taken by students in counseling, education, and psychology. Students have found the volume incredibly useful and comment on how it will remain on their shelves. A 'must have' for the researcher or clinician interested in attachment processes across the lifespan.”

—Richard Lanthier, PhD, Graduate School of Education and Human Development, George Washington University


“Impressive. The list of authors in the third edition includes nearly all of the ongoing major contributors to the attachment literature. Chapters provide important updates, theoretical perspectives, and nuanced discussion. The breadth and depth of the content are stunning. This handbook is required reading for anyone who wants information regarding the current status of attachment theory and research, including students, researchers, and professionals interested in a broad array of topics.”

—Nancy Eisenberg, PhD, Regents' Professor of Psychology, Arizona State University


“The Handbook of Attachment reflects the kind of artful integration of behavior, emotion, and cognition that John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth hoped to set in train. I am particularly impressed by the work the editors and contributors to the third edition have devoted to updating, revising, and even reconceptualizing their chapters to keep up with this flourishing field. The third edition is more than just a great help for scholarship and teaching—it is indispensable.”

—Everett Waters, PhD, Department of Psychology (Emeritus), Stony Brook University


“The Handbook of Attachment, Third Edition, was a superb choice for my advanced undergraduate and graduate seminar. Like the prior editions, the Handbook provides up-to-date coverage of the major topics in the field, as well as exciting explorations of emerging issues. For students who may not yet have a full grasp of the field, the book offers a strong foundation in attachment theory and methodological and clinical implications from which they can start to formulate their own sub-interests. The chapters are written simply enough to make them accessible to upper-level undergraduates, yet also provide sophisticated depth for a more advanced audience. Even after the course, I have heard from students that they frequently consult and reference the Handbook and appreciate having it as an important part of their libraries.”

—Jennifer C. Ablow, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Oregon

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Table of Contents

I. Overview of Attachment Theory

1. The Nature of the Child's Ties, Jude Cassidy

2. Attachment Disruptions, Reparative Processes, and Psychopathology: Theoretical and Clinical Implications, Roger Kobak, Kristyn Zajac, & Stephanie D. Madsen

3. Attachment, Loss, and Grief: Bowlby's Views, New Developments, and Current Controversies, R. Chris Fraley & Phillip R. Shaver

4. The Internal Working Model Construct in Light of Contemporary Neuroimaging Research, Inge Bretherton & Kristine A. Munholland

II. Biological Perspectives

5. Attachment Theory within a Modern Evolutionary Framework, Jeffry A. Simpson & Jay Belsky

6. Psychobiological Origins of Infant Attachment and Its Role in Development, H. Jonathan Polan & Myron A. Hofer

7. Attachment in Rhesus Monkeys, Stephen J. Suomi

8. Attachment, Parenting, and Genetics, Marian J. Bakermans-Kranenburg and Marinus H. van IJzendoorn

9. Attachment and Psychoneuroimmunology, Katherine B. Ehrlich, Gregory E. Miller, Jason D. Jones, & Jude Cassidy

10. Attachment and Temperament as Intersecting Developmental Products and Interacting Developmental Contexts Throughout Infancy and Childhood, Brian E. Vaughn & Kelly K. Bost

11. Studying the Biology of Human Attachment, Amie A. Hane & Nathan A. Fox

12. Toward a Neuroscience of Attachment, James A. Coan

III. Attachment in Infancy and Childhood

13. Normative Development: The Ontogeny of Attachment in Childhood, Robert S. Marvin, Preston A. Britner, & Beth S. Russell

14. Precursors of Attachment Security, R. M. Pasco Fearon & Jay Belsky

15. Attachment Relationships in the Context of Multiple Caregivers, Carollee Howes & Susan Spieker

16. Early Attachment and Later Development: Reframing the Questions, Ross A. Thompson

17. Attachment in Middle Childhood, Kathryn A. Kerns & Laura E. Brumariu

18. The Measurement of Attachment Security and Related Constructs in Infancy and Early Childhood, Judith Solomon & Carol George

IV. Attachment in Adolescence and Adulthood

19. The Multiple Facets of Attachment in Adolescence, Joseph P. Allen & Joseph S. Tan

20. Pair Bonds as Attachments: Mounting Evidence in Support of Bowlby's Hypothesis, Debra M. Zeifman & Cindy Hazan

21. Adult Romantic Attachment: Developments in the Study of Couple Relationships, Judith A. Feeney

22. Attachment and Sexual Mating: The Joint Operation of Separate Motivational Systems, Gurit E. Birnbaum

23. Same-Sex Romantic Attachment, Jonathan J. Mohr & Skyler D. Jackson

24. Adult Attachment and Emotion Regulation, Mario Mikulincer & Phillip R. Shaver

25. Attachment in Middle and Later Life, Carol Magai, Maria Teresa Frías, & Phillip R. Shaver

26. The Adult Attachment Interview: Protocol, Method of Analysis, and Empirical Studies: 1985-2015, Erik Hesse

27. Measurement of Individual Differences in Adult Attachment, Judith A. Crowell, R. Chris Fraley, & Glenn I. Roisman

V. Psychopathology and Clinical Applications

28. Attachment and Psychopathology in Childhood, Michelle DeKlyen & Mark T. Greenberg

29. Attachment Disorganization from Infancy to Adulthood: Neurobiological Correlates, Parenting Contexts, and Pathways to Disorder, Karlen Lyons-Ruth & Deborah Jacobvitz

30. Challenges to the Development of Attachment Relationships Faced by Young Children in Foster and Adoptive Care, Mary Dozier & Michael Rutter

31. Attachment States of Mind and Psychopathology in Adulthood, K. Chase Stovall-McClough & Mary Dozier

32. Prevention and Intervention Programs to Support Early Attachment Security: A Move to the Level of the Community, Lisa J. Berlin, Charles H. Zeanah, & Alicia F. Lieberman

33. Attachment and Adult Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, and Practice, Arietta Slade

34. Reconciling Psychoanalytic Ideas with Attachment Theory, Peter Fonagy, Patrick Luyten, Elizabeth Allison, & Chloe Campbell

35. Couple and Family Therapy: An Attachment Perspective, Audrey Brassard & Susan M. Johnson

VI. Systems, Culture, and Context

36. Caregiving, Brooke C. Feeney & Susan S. Woodhouse

37. Cross-Cultural Patterns of Attachment: Universal and Contextual Dimensions, Judi Mesman, Marinus H. van IJzendoorn, & Abraham Sagi-Schwartz

38. A Lifespan Perspective on Attachment and Care for Others: Empathy, Altruism, and Prosocial Behavior, Phillip R. Shaver, Mario Mikulincer, Jacquelyn T. Gross, Jessica A. Stern, & Jude Cassidy

39. Attachment and Religious Representations and Behavior, Pehr Granqvist & Lee A. Kirkpatrick

40. Divorce through the Lens of Attachment Theory, Brooke C. Feeney & Joan K. Monin

41. Attachment and School Readiness, Amanda P. Williford, Lauren M. Carter, & Robert C. Pianta

42. Implications of Attachment Theory and Research for Child Care Policies, Michael Rutter & Camilla Azis-Clauson

VII. Perspectives on Attachment

43. The Place of Attachment in Development, L. Alan Sroufe

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About the Editors

Jude Cassidy, PhD, is Distinguished Scholar-Teacher and Professor of Psychology at the University of Maryland, College Park, and Director of the Maryland Child and Family Development Laboratory. Her research interests include socioemotional development from infancy through adolescence, with an emphasis on attachment and family relationships; social, cognitive, and regulatory mechanisms through which children’s early family experiences come to influence later well-being and relationships; and early intervention designed to reduce the risk of insecure attachment and mental disorders. Her research has been funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and the Zanvyl and Isabelle Krieger Fund. Dr. Cassidy serves as coeditor of the journal Attachment and Human Development and is on the editorial boards ofJournal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology and Infant Mental Health Journal. She is a Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science and the American Psychological Association (APA), and received the Boyd R. McCandless Young Scientist Award from APA Division 7 (Developmental Psychology).

• Author's website

Phillip R. Shaver, PhD, is Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Psychology at the University of California, Davis. He has published several books, including Handbook of Attachment, Third Edition, and over 250 journal articles and book chapters. Dr. Shaver's research focuses on attachment, human motivation and emotion, close relationships, personality development, and the effects of meditation on behavior and brain. He is a fellow of both the American Psychological Association and the Association for Psychological Science, and has served as executive officer of the Society of Experimental Social Psychology (SESP) and as president of the International Association for Relationship Research (IARR). Dr. Shaver is a recipient of Distinguished Career Awards from the SESP, the IARR, and the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, and an honorary doctorate from the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Stockholm, Sweden. He is an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

• Author's website
• All titles by Phillip R. Shaver

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Contributors

Joseph P. Allen, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia

Elizabeth Allison, DPhil, Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, United Kingdom

Camilla Azis-Clauson, BSc, Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom

Marian J. Bakermans-Kranenburg, PhD, Centre for Child and Family Studies, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands

Jay Belsky, PhD, Department of Human Ecology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California

Lisa J. Berlin, PhD, School of Social Work, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland

Gurit E. Birnbaum, PhD, Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya, Herzliya, Israel

Kelly K. Bost, PhD, Department of Human and Community Development Family Resiliency Center, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, Illinois

Audrey Brassard, PhD, Department of Psychology, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada

Inge Bretherton, PhD, Department of Human Development and Family Studies, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, Wisconsin

Preston A. Britner, PhD, Department of Human Development and Family Studies, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut

Laura E. Brumariu, PhD, Derner Institute of Psychology, Adelphi University, Garden City, New York

Chloe Campbell, PhD, Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, United Kingdom

Lauren M. Carter, BA, School of Education, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia

Jude Cassidy, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, Maryland

James A. Coan, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia

Judith A. Crowell, MD, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stony Brook University Medical Center, Stony Brook, New York

Michelle DeKlyen, PhD, Center for Research on Child Well-Being, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey

Mary Dozier, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware

Katherine B. Ehrlich, PhD, Institute for Policy Research and Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois

R. M. Pasco Fearon, PhD, Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, United Kingdom

Brooke C. Feeney, PhD, Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Judith A. Feeney, PhD, School of Psychology, University of Queensland, Queensland, Australia

Peter Fonagy, PhD, Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, and The Anna Freud Centre, London, United Kingdom

Nathan A. Fox, PhD, Child Development Lab, Department of Human Development, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, Maryland

R. Chris Fraley, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Champaign, Illinois

María Teresa Frías, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California

Carol George, PhD, Department of Psychology, Mills College, Oakland, California

Pehr Granqvist, PhD, Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden

Mark T. Greenberg, PhD, Prevention Research Center, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania

Jacquelyn T. Gross, MS, Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, Maryland

Amie A. Hane, PhD, Department of Psychology, Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts

Cindy Hazan, PhD, Department of Human Development, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York

Erik Hesse, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California

Myron A. Hofer, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Sackler Institute for Developmental Psychobiology, Columbia University, New York, New York

Carollee Howes, PhD, Psychological Studies in Education Program, Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California

Skyler D. Jackson, BA, Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, Maryland

Deborah Jacobvitz, PhD, Department of Human Ecology, College of Natural Sciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas

Susan M. Johnson, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Ottawa, and Ottawa Couple and Family Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Jason D. Jones, PhD, Department of Psychology,

University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, Maryland

Kathryn A. Kerns, PhD, Department of Psychology, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio

Lee A. Kirkpatrick, PhD, Department of Psychology, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia

Roger Kobak, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware

Alicia F. Lieberman, PhD, Child Trauma Research Program, University of California, San Francisco, and San Francisco General Hospital, San Francisco, California

Patrick Luyten, PhD, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, United Kingdom

Karlen Lyons-Ruth, PhD, Department of Psychiatry, Cambridge Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, Massachusetts

Stephanie D. Madsen, PhD, Department of Psychology, McDaniel College, Westminster, Maryland

Carol Magai, PhD, Department of Psychology, Long Island University, Brooklyn, New York

Robert S. Marvin, PhD, Department of Psychiatric Medicine, Child and Family Psychiatry, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia

Judi Mesman, PhD, Centre for Child and Family Studies, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands

Mario Mikulincer, PhD, Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya, Herzliya, Israel

Gregory E. Miller, PhD, Institute for Policy Research and Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois

Jonathan J. Mohr, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, Maryland

Joan K. Monin, PhD, Department of Chronic Disease Epidemiology, Social and Behavioral Science Division, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut

Kristine A. Munholland, MSW, PhD, Department of Human Development, Washington State University Vancouver, Vancouver, Washington

Robert C. Pianta, PhD, School of Education, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia

H. Jonathan Polan, MD, Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medical College and New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, New York

Glenn I. Roisman, PhD, Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Beth S. Russell, PhD, Department of Human Development and Family Studies, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut

Michael Rutter, MD, Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom

Abraham Sagi-Schwartz, PhD, Center for the Study of Child Development, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel

Phillip R. Shaver, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California

Jeffry A. Simpson, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Arietta Slade, PhD, Yale Child Study Center, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut

Judith Solomon, PhD, Child FIRST Program, Department of Pediatrics, Bridgeport Hospital, Bridgeport, Connecticut

Susan Spieker, PhD, Department of Family and Child Nursing, Center on Human Development and Disability, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington

L. Alan Sroufe, PhD, Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Jessica A. Stern, BA, Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, Maryland

K. Chase Stovall-McClough, PhD, Child Study Center, Institute for Trauma and Stress, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York

Stephen J. Suomi, PhD, Laboratory of Comparative Ethology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland

Joseph S. Tan, MA, Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia

Ross A. Thompson, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California

Marinus H. van IJzendoorn, PhD, Center for Child and Family Studies, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands

Brian E. Vaughn, PhD, Department of Family and Child Development, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama

Amanda P. Williford, PhD, Center for Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning, School of Education, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia

Susan S. Woodhouse, PhD, Department of Education and Human Services, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Kristyn Zajac, PhD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina

Charles H. Zeanah, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana

Debra M. Zeifman, PhD, Department of Psychology, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, New York

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Audience

Researchers and students in developmental, social, and clinical psychology and family studies; mental health practitioners working with children and adults.

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Course Use

Serves as a supplemental text in graduate-level courses.

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Previous editions published by Guilford:

Second Edition, © 2008
ISBN: 9781606230282

First Edition, © 1999
ISBN: 9781572308268

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New to this edition:

• Chapters on genetics and epigenetics, psychoneuroimmunology, and sexual mating.
• Chapters on compassion, school readiness, and the caregiving system across the lifespan.
• Chapter probing the relationbetween attachment and other developmental influences.
• Nearly a decade's worth of theoretical and empirical advances.