Theories Of Love And Attachment

Love and Attachment

Makenzie Harms

Introduction to Psychology
Tom Oswald
March 21, 2018

Love and Attachment
There are both healthy and unhealthy forms of attachment styles that fuse with the Duplex theory, which are tied to neuroanatomy and neurochemistry in the brain, with many factors that define which attachment style two people have. Robert Sternberg, an American psychologist, compiled a triangular theory of love. It is broken down into three categories, its cornerstones including intimacy, passion, and commitment (Sternberg). Known as the Duplex Theory of Love, each of the three parts in the triangle must equal out in order for a mentally satisfying relationship to begin. Love and attachment tend to go together, with many
“Attachment is a very important part of human experience. The earliest attachment that humans experience is between infant and parent.” (Sternberg). “One hypothesis is that the quality of this early attachment can have profound effects on a person, and can particularly affect one's capacity to form loving attachments to others as an adult” (Sternberg). The three attachment styles are secure, anxious-ambivalent, and avoidant, and it is determined what kind of attachment style a person will have early in their lives, in infancy. It is determined by the way the child's’ parent cares for them in the
Securely attached couples tend to have high self-esteem, enjoy feelings of love and trust with their partner, and are willing to adjust themselves and accept their partner’s flaws for the sake of the relationship. Securely attached couples also tend to deal with conflict well, unlike couples placed in the other two attachment style categories , as they view conflict as a chance to communicate and confront, and they believe that conflict brings them closer. This attachment style is the healthiest of the three. Children can be classified as having secure attachment by the way they act when their caretaker leaves. Children with secure attachments to their caretakers will be upset when the person leaves, but often calm down as they remember that they can depend on the person to return. Individuals that fear emotional dependency are known to have avoidant attachment. These people, more fearful of conflicts, are likely to become angry and defensive during arguments, and after an argument, they likely view their partner and their relationship as less close or even falling apart. Their ability to have long term, intimate relationships is limited