Attachment informs an incredibly wide array of topics. The purpose of this post is simply to show a random sample of recent attachment-based research topics. Attachment research involves the application of science to understand specific issues, and the expansion of theory.
Attachment is applicable to so many topics because it describes the ways people respond to danger, especially relationship danger, and defines with specificity what constitute a relationship danger and how those dangers can be subjective to an individual. Attachment, and particularly the DMM model, describe how danger impacts behavior, thoughts, body feelings, memory function and other elements of human functioning.
Information processing patterns are directly and dramatically affected by a person’s attachment experience and attachment system functioning.
Broadly, research topics using attachment science and theory to understand various issues include:
- Autism
- Bias, regarding partners, narratives…
- Communication styles
- Danger response
- Domestic violence
- Eating disorders
- Forgiveness, apology
- Foster care
- Human development
- Narratives and understanding the self and experiences
- Parent-child separation and coping
- Parenting, styles, impacts…
- Perspective taking
- Personality disorders
- Processing death
- Romantic relationships, impacts, bias in partner choice…
- Sexual abuse
- Trauma experience and recovery, PTSD…
The following is a quick and dirty list of article topics and authors. Some include the publication journal, none include a proper citation. We believe most of these use the ABC+D (Berkeley) model rather than the DMM model. Click this link for a complete list of DMM publications. As researchers begin to apply attachment science more and more to understand everyday issues, it becomes ever more important to build research on a solid attachment foundation, such as the DMM.
What Mentees Bring: Relationship Characteristics Pre-Mentoring and Mentoring Relationship Satisfaction
Supriya Williamson, Edith Lawrence, Michael D. Lyons, …
Journal of Early Adolescence, 40, 7 (2020), https://doi.org/10.1177/0272431619891251
A critical mechanism through which mentors are thought to influence developmental outcomes is the mentee-mentor relationship. Attachment theories suggest that a mentee’s perceptions of other relationships in her life may impact the quality of the mentor-mentee relationship….
Touch me just enough: The intersection of adult attachment, intimate touch, and marital satisfaction
Samantha A. Wagner, Richard E. Mattson, Joanne Davila, …
Sexual Nostalgia as a Response to Unmet Sexual and Relational Needs: The Role of Attachment Avoidance
Amy Muise, James J. Kim, Anik Debrot, Emily A. Impett, Geoff MacDonald
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin
Mar 14, 2020 | OnlineFirst
The Role of Attachment in Language Brokering and Psychological Well-being among College Students
Robert S. Weisskirch, Shu-Sha Angie Guan, Vanja Lazarevic
Journal of Family Issues
Mar 13, 2020 | OnlineFirst
Doing things differently: Exploring attachment patterns and parental intentions in families where a child has a diagnosis of autism
Rudi Dallos, Rebecca McKenzie, Nicholas Bond
Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry
Mar 7, 2020 | OnlineFirst
Remaining in unhappy relationships: The roles of attachment anxiety and fear of change
Tiffany George, Joshua Hart, W. Steven Rholes
Journal of Social and Personal Relationships
Feb 19, 2020 | OnlineFirst
Stability of shared appraisal: The role of attachment and implications for relationships and health
Juwon Lee, Vicki S. Helgeson, Meredith Van Vleet, Caitlin S. Kelly, Robert G. Kent de Grey, Cynthia A. Berg
Journal of Social and Personal Relationships
Feb 18, 2020 | OnlineFirst
Asian Values, Intergenerational Conflict, Needs, and Attachment in Asian/Asian American Women’s Disordered Eating
Suejung Han
The Counseling Psychologist
Mar 5, 2020 | OnlineFirst
Adult attachment and jealousy of the partner–infant relationship at the transition to parenthood
Anna L. Olsavsky, Meghna S. Mahambrey, Miranda N. Berrigan, Sarah J. Schoppe-Sullivan
Journal of Social and Personal Relationships
Mar 3, 2020 | OnlineFirst
Who’s the boss? How and when process power moderates partner regulation of attachment defenses
Katherine C. Haydon, Anna Woronzoff-Dashkoff, Kelley Murphy
Journal of Social and Personal Relationships
Jan 21, 2020 | OnlineFirst
Interparental conflict and Chinese emerging adults’ romantic relationship quality: Indirect pathways through attachment to parents and interpersonal security
Danli Li, Dongping Li, and Kairong Yang
Teachers’ attachment orientations and children’s school adjustment: Evidence from a longitudinal study of first graders
Uri Lifshin, Inbal Binyamin Kleinerman, Phillip R. Shaver, and Mario Mikulincer
Attachment and post-traumatic stress in victims of interpersonal trauma: The mediating role of emotion-focused coping
Gabrial T. Anderson and Spee Kosloff
A closer look at attachment, sexuality, and couple relationships
Dean M. Busby, Veronica Hanna-Walker, Jeremy B. Yorgason
Journal of Social and Personal Relationships
Jan 8, 2020 | OnlineFirst
What they say, how they say it, or how they look saying it: Which channels of communication link attachment anxiety and problematic first impressions?
M. Joy McClure, Emilie Auger, John E. Lydon
Journal of Social and Personal Relationships
Dec 5, 2019 | OnlineFirst
Mothers’ Experience of Intimate Partner Violence and Subsequent Offspring Attachment Security Ages 1–5 Years: A Meta-Analysis
Jennifer E. McIntosh, Evelyn S. Tan, Alytia A. Levendosky, Amy Holtzworth-Munroe
Trauma, Violence, & Abuse
Nov 21, 2019 | OnlineFirst
Paternal and Maternal Harsh Parenting and Chinese Adolescents’ Social Anxiety: The Different Mediating Roles of Attachment Insecurity With Fathers and Mothers
Mingzhong Wang, Xiujuan Wu, Jing Wang
Journal of Interpersonal Violence
Oct 14, 2019 | OnlineFirst
Relationship Quality in the Context of Cyber Dating Abuse: The Role of Attachment
Morgan Lancaster, Gregory S. Seibert, Ashley N. Cooper, Ross W. May, Frank Fincham
Journal of Family Issues
Oct 14, 2019 | OnlineFirst
Implications for Reward Processing in Differential Responses to Loss: Impacts on Attachment Hierarchy Reorganization
Angie S. LeRoy, C. Raymond Knee, Jaye L. Derrick, and Christopher P. Fagundes
Insecure Attachment, Emotion Dysregulation, and Psychological Aggression in Couples
Rachel Cheche Hoover, Jeffrey B. Jackson
Journal of Interpersonal Violence
Sep 27, 2019 | OnlineFirst
A safe space for self-expansion: Attachment and motivation to engage and interact with the story world
Nathan Silver and Michael D. Slater
I am a rock; I am an island: Implications of avoidant attachment for communal coping in adults with type 2 diabetes
Meredith Van Vleet and Vicki S. Helgeson
Adult attachment and relationship satisfaction: The mediating role of gratitude toward the partner
Manja Vollmann, Sem Sprang, and Femke van den Brink
Attachment dimensions and forgiveness of others: A meta-analysis
Shannon L. Hirst, Erica G. Hepper, and Harriet R. Tenenbaum
Sex differences in romantic attachment among Chinese: A meta-analysis
Dongju Li, Cong Shu, and Xu Chen
Interparental conflict and Chinese emerging adults’ romantic relationship quality: Indirect pathways through attachment to parents and interpersonal security
Danli Li, Dongping Li, Kairong Yang
Journal of Social and Personal Relationships
Aug 1, 2019 | OnlineFirst
Attachment categories or dimensions: The Adult Attachment Scale across three generations in Poland
Katarzyna Lubiewska, Fons J. R. Van de Vijver
Journal of Social and Personal Relationships
Jul 7, 2019 | OnlineFirst
A Step Toward a Better Understanding of the Relationship Between Victimization and Emotional Distress: Indirect Effect of Adult Attachment and Interaction With Household Dysfunction
Cristina dos Santos Mesquita and Ângela da Costa Maia
Implications for Reward Processing in Differential Responses to Loss: Impacts on Attachment Hierarchy Reorganization
Angie S. LeRoy, C.Raymond Knee, Jaye L. Derrick, Christopher P. Fagundes
Personality and Social Psychology Review
Jun 14, 2019 | OnlineFirst
Parent–Child Attachment Moderates the Associations Between Cyberbullying Victimization and Adolescents’ Health/Mental Health Problems: An Exploration of Cyberbullying Victimization Among Chinese Adolescents
Yuhong Zhu, Wen Li, Jennifer E. O’Brien, Tingting Liu
Journal of Interpersonal Violence
Jun 14, 2019 | OnlineFirst
Exploring Attachment Incoherence in Bereaved Families’ Therapy Narratives: An Attachment Theory-Informed Thematic Analysis
Rachel Willcox, Naomi Moller, and Victoria Clarke
Adult attachment and relationship satisfaction: The mediating role of gratitude toward the partner
Manja Vollmann, Sem Sprang, Femke van den Brink
Journal of Social and Personal Relationships
Apr 16, 2019 | OnlineFirst
A Comparative Effectiveness Study of a Shortened Trauma Recovery Empowerment Model and an Attachment-Informed Adaptation
Melanie Masin-Moyer, Malitta Engstrom, Phyllis Solomon
Violence Against Women
Apr 3, 2019 | OnlineFirst
A Qualitative Exploration of Parental Separation and Coping: Attachment Disruptions Among Newcomer Immigrant Adolescents
Holly A. Muller, Thomas A. Brewer, Sita G. Patel, Dhru Desai
Journal of Adolescent Research
Apr 5, 2019 | OnlineFirst
The role of attachment avoidance and defensive fight in aggression
Gery C. Karantzas and Nicolas Kambouropoulos
Predictors of Sibling Victimization and Associations With Self-Perception and Relationship Attachment in Adolescence
Jeanette M. Walters, Julee P. Farley, Kirby Deater-Deckard, Jungmeen Kim-Spoon
The Journal of Early Adolescence
Mar 27, 2019 | OnlineFirst
Microaggression Experiences of Fathers With Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder
Michael D. Hannon, Raymond Blanchard, Cassandra A. Storlie
The Family Journal
Mar 4, 2019 | OnlineFirst
Implications of Foster Care on Attachment: A Literature Review
Megan Miranda, Elizabeth Molla, Eman Tadros
The Family Journal
Mar 5, 2019 | OnlineFirst
Do You See What I See? Actor and Partner Attachment Shape Biased Perceptions of Partners
Lindsey M. Rodriguez, Jennifer Fillo, Benjamin W. Hadden, Camilla S. Øverup, Zachary G. Baker, and Angelo M. DiBello
Parental Attachment Styles and Religious and Spiritual Struggle: A Mediating Effect of God Image
Beata Zarzycka
Predicting Young Adults’ Romantic Relationship Quality: Sibling Ties and Adult Attachment Styles
Massimiliano Sommantico, Anna Rosa Donizzetti, Santa Parrello, and Barbara De Rosa
A safe space for self-expansion: Attachment and motivation to engage and interact with the story world
Nathan Silver, Michael D. Slater
Journal of Social and Personal Relationships
Feb 6, 2019 | OnlineFirst
The Role of Attachment of Each Partner on Marital Adjustment
Alana Siegel, Yafit Levin, and Zahava Solomon
Avoidant and defensive: Adult attachment and quality of apologies
Karina Schumann and Edward Orehek
The Differential Effects of Insecure Attachment on Post-Traumatic Stress: A Systematic Review of Extant Findings and Explanatory Mechanisms
Ban Hong Lim, Mikhaella A. Hodges, Michelle M. Lilly
Trauma, Violence, & Abuse
Jan 1, 2019 | OnlineFirst
The subclinical psychopath in love: Mediating effects of attachment styles
Alexis M. Unrau and Marian M. Morry
Partners’ attachment insecurity predicts greater physiological threat in anticipation of attachment-relevant interactions
Brett J. Peters, Nickola C. Overall, Yuthika U. Girme, and Jeremy P. Jamieson
Withdrawal, attachment security, and recovery from conflict in couple relationships
Karen J. Prager, Jesse Poucher, Forouz K. Shirvani, Julie A. Parsons, and Zoheb Allam
Attachment and self-regulation performance in preadolescence
Joke Heylen, Rudi De Raedt, Frederick Verbruggen, and Guy Bosmans
Predicting Young Adults’ Romantic Relationship Quality: Sibling Ties and Adult Attachment Styles
Massimiliano Sommantico, Anna Rosa Donizzetti, Santa Parrello, Barbara De Rosa
Journal of Family Issues
Dec 26, 2018 | OnlineFirst
Psychological Distress and Attachment Insecurity of Stalked Mothers
Nele Marie Wolf, Sille Schandorph Løkkegaard, Ask Elklit
J Interpers Violence
Dec 20, 2018 | OnlineFirst
Childhood Maltreatment Experiences, Attachment, Sexual Offending: Testing a Theory
Melissa D. Grady, Jamie Yoder, Adam Brown
J Interpers Violence
Nov 25, 2018 | OnlineFirst
Environmental Unpredictability in Childhood Is Associated With Anxious Romantic Attachment and Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration
Nicole Barbaro and Todd K. Shackelford
Adult Attachment Styles, Destructive Conflict Resolution, and the Experience of Intimate Partner Violence
Helena Bonache, Rosaura Gonzalez-Mendez, and Barbara Krahé
Personal Ties and Prejudice: A Meta-Analysis of Romantic Attachment and Ambivalent Sexism
Molly I. Fisher, Matthew D. Hammond
Pers Soc Psychol Bull
Nov 9, 2018 | OnlineFirst
From Middle Childhood to Adulthood Attachment: Measuring Attachment Stability in the Context of Married Individuals in Penang, Malaysia
Marshina Juliza Mohd Hasim, Hasrina Mustafa, and Nor Hazlina Hashim
I Am Not in Your Shoes: Low Perspective Taking Mediating the Relation Among Attachment Insecurities and Physical Intimate Partner Violence in Chilean University Students
Marie-France Lafontaine, Mónica Guzmán-González, Katherine Péloquin, and Christine Levesque
School Attachment and Violent Attitudes Preventing Future Violent Behavior Among Youth
Jorge J. Varela, Marc A. Zimmerman, Allison M. Ryan, Sarah A. Stoddard, Justin E. Heinze
J Interpers Violence
Sep 21, 2018 | OnlineFirst
Do You See What I See? Actor and Partner Attachment Shape Biased Perceptions of Partners
Lindsey M. Rodriguez, Jennifer Fillo, Benjamin W. Hadden, Camilla S. Øverup, Zachary G. Baker, Angelo M. DiBello
Pers Soc Psychol Bull
Aug 27, 2018 | OnlineFirst
Changes in older couples’ compassionate love over a year: The roles of gender, health, and attachment avoidance
Allen K. Sabey and Amy J. Rauer
Ambivalent Facebook users: Anxious attachment style and goal cognition
Chingching Chang
Journal of Social and Personal Relationships
Aug 1, 2018 | OnlineFirst
‘It is that bad but it isn’t that bad’: Exploring children’s experiences of their mother’s non-terminal cancer with a focus on attachment, resilience and trauma
Laura Tozer, Jacqui Stedmon, Rudi Dallos
Clin Child Psychol Psychiatry
Jul 30, 2018 | OnlineFirst
Parental and Peer Attachment Characteristics: Differentiating Between Youth Sexual and Non-Sexual Offenders and Associations With Sexual Offense Profiles
Jamie R. Yoder, George S. Leibowitz, and Leanne Peterson
“Don’t bring me down”: Effects of priming secure and anxious attachment on body image
Kristin J. Homan, Samara Wild, Kristyn R. Dillon, and Rachel Shimrock
Parental and Peer Attachment Characteristics: Differentiating Between Youth Sexual and Non-Sexual Offenders and Associations With Sexual Offense Profiles
Jamie R. Yoder, George S. Leibowitz, and Leanne Peterson
You Can’t See the Real Me: Attachment Avoidance, Self-Verification, and Self-Concept Clarity
Lydia F. Emery, Wendi L. Gardner, Kathleen L. Carswell, and Eli J. Finkel