Influences of Attachment Theory on Personality Development

The concepts proposed by attachment theory have been very influential to the field of personality psychology. Over the years, many studies have supported the notion that mother-child attachment styles during childhood can impact future styles of behavior. Research conducted by Festa and Ginsburg (2011) examined the impact of parental and peer factors on the development of social anxiety amongst children. Further research conducted by Li and Chan (2012) examined the specific impact of anxiety and avoidant attachment styles on the development of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral indicators in determining the quality of romantic relationships amongst adults (Li Chan, 2012). Individuals that possess social anxiety disorder (SAD)†¦show more content†¦Individuals that portray secure attachment styles tend to value relationships that provide trust, comfort, and availability. In contrast, individuals with insecure-avoidant or anxious- ambivalent styles of attachment tend to not be as capable of recognizing, acknowledging, or valuing secure-based relationships (Waters, 2004). Based off of Mary Mains work dealing with adult attachment, Bowlby went on to theorize that an individual’s self-concept and social interactions during childhood result in future development of different styles of attachment behaviors, known as continuity (Hazan et al., 1986). Li and Chen (2012) observed: The effects of anxious and avoidant insecure attachment styles in relation to the different qualities of romantic relationships based off of cognitive, behavioral, and emotional indicators. Previous research led them to hypothesize that anxiety and avoidance are positively associated with negative indicators of relationship quality; anxiety correlating higher than avoidance (Li et al., 2012, p. 409). The type of research method used to conduct this study was a two-dimensional meta-analysis observing anxious vs. avoidant styles of attachment. This study was accurate in following this method, having 73 studies meet their criteria set (i.e. participants must be involved in a heterosexual relationship, study must show continuous self-report measures of adultShow MoreRelatedPersonality Development of Children: Who Matters More?1681 Words   |  7 PagesPersonality development of children: Who Matters More? Judith Harris and John Bowlby The impact of parents on child development has been a major matter among developmental psychologists who have been trying to find a direct link between parental activities and the personality development of children. The nature vs. nurture debate remains vital and keeps the world of developmental and clinical psychology polarized for a long time now (Encyclopedia.com). 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