attachment

(noun)

A strong bonding toward or with.

Related Terms

Examples of attachment in the following topics:

  • Attachment Theory

    • The development of parent-infant attachment is a complex process that leads to deeper and deeper attachment as the child ages.
    • Bowlby conceived of four stages of attachment that begin during infancy: preattachment, attachment-in-the-making, clear-cut attachment, and formation of reciprocal relationships.
    • When the caretaker picks up the baby or smiles at her, the beginnings of attachment are forming.
    • Children who have secure attachment to parents are more likely to be successful adults.
    • Discuss the contributions of Bowlby, Ainsworth, and Harlow to attachment theory

  • Reactive Attachment Disorder

    • RAD arises from a failure to form normal attachments to primary caregivers in early childhood.
    • Mainstream treatment and prevention programs that target RAD and other problematic early attachment behaviors are based on attachment theory.
    • Children need sensitive and responsive caregivers to develop secure attachments.
    • RAD arises from a failure to form normal attachments to primary caregivers in early childhood.
    • Summarize the diagnostic criteria, etiology, and treatment of reactive attachment disorder

  • Evolutionary Theory of Motivation

    • Consider the following example: in a population's gene pool, a genotype exists for an infant that is unattached from its mother—it will crawl away and does not have any "love" or other significant attachment to its mother.
    • Thus, the "attached" infant has a higher chance of survival.
    • Over many generations, more "attached" infants will survive to mate and pass on their gene for attachment.

  • Lower-Level Structures

    • The cerebellum is attached to the dorsal side of the pons.
    • It is attached to the rest of the brain by three stalks (called pedunculi), and coordinates skeletal muscles to produce smooth, graceful motions.
    • The spinal cord is attached to the underside of the medulla oblongata, and is organized to serve four distinct tasks:

  • Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

    • This can include the need to bond with other human beings, the need to be loved, and the need to form lasting attachments.
    • Having no attachments can negatively affect health and well-being; as a result, people are motivated to find friends and romantic partners.

  • The Structure of Language

    • Because these morphemes must be attached to another word to have meaning, they are called bound morphemes.
    • This lexeme excludes "runner" (a derived term—it has a derivational morpheme attached).

  • Chromosomes and Genes

    • Known as our "genetic code," it is shaped like a double helix, made of sequences of nucleic acids attached to a sugar phosphate backbone.

  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

    • C-PTSD is also characterized by attachment disorder, particularly the pervasive insecure, or disorganized-type attachment—elements that are not adequately described by the diagnosis of PTSD.

  • Prenatal Brain Development

    • The mass of cells has yet to attach itself to the lining of the uterus; once this attachment occurs, the next stage begins.

  • Biology of Sexual Behavior

    • The vagina is attached to the uterus through the cervix, while the uterus is attached to the ovaries via the fallopian tubes.