Attachment Theory

Donna E. Palladino Schultheiss

Attachment theory provides a useful theoretical framework for understanding how relationships function to facilitate or hinder developmental progress, such as progress in career development. A central tenet of this theory concerns the central role of attachments as enduring emotional bonds of substantial intensity that influence healthy development and participation in satisfying relationships. Regularities in interactions with caregivers provide children with a sense of security. As individuals mature, cognitive representations (schemas)—or internal working models of attachment relationships—develop and become essential to the experience of security throughout the life span and are predictive of a number of adaptive outcomes. These models become activated and essential during times of stress. Continued participation in mutually satisfying relationships plays a significant role in healthy human development across the life span. Individuals at any age are better adjusted when they have confidence in the accessibility and responsiveness of a trusted other. Anxiety generated by new situations, ...

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