The DOI matches its Crossref record; 11 of the 11 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Meta-analytic evidence for stability in attachments from infancy to early adulthood
Abstract
The present meta-analysis integrates results from 127 papers on attachment stability towards mothers and fathers, respectively, from infancy to early adulthood. More than twenty-one thousand attachments (n = 21,072) and 225 time intervals were explored, ranging from half a month to 29 years (348 months). An overall coefficient of r = .39 between times T1 and T2 was obtained, reflecting a medium-sized stability of attachment security. However, no significant stability was found in intervals larger than 15 years. Coefficients are higher for time intervals of less than two years compared to time spans of more than five years, if attachments were assessed beyond infancy using representational rather than behavioral measures and if normal middle class as opposed to at-risk samples were involved. Furthermore, securely attached children at risk were less likely to maintain attachment security whereas insecurely attached children at risk most likely maintained insecurity.
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“Although attachment style can evolve through significant relational experiences, longitudinal research indicates that it retains moderate stability across the lifespan [24, 25].”
From The link of adverse childhood experiences and attachment to maladaptive personality traits in adults diagnosed with substance use disorder (2025) · cites this paper as [25]
Citations
Cites
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Cited by
Sorted by citations
The mentalizing approach to psychopathology: State of the art and future directions
Luyten, P., Campbell, C., Allison, E., & Fonagy, P. (2020) · Annual Review of Clinical Psychology · doi:10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-071919-015355 · Cited by 748
“These findings are particularly impressive considering the limited stability of attachment in childhood (Pinquart et al. 2013) and general limitations in the ability to predict child development over time (Fearon et al. 2014).”
BackgroundResultVerhage, M. L., Schuengel, C., Madigan, S., Fearon, R. M. P., Oosterman, M., Cassibba, R., Bakermans-Kranenburg, M. J., & van IJzendoorn, M. H. (2016) · Psychological Bulletin · doi:10.1037/bul0000038 · Cited by 550
Madigan, S., Brumariu, L. E., Villani, V., Atkinson, L., & Lyons-Ruth, K. (2016) · Psychological Bulletin · doi:10.1037/bul0000029 · Cited by 397
From adversity to psychosis: pathways and mechanisms from specific adversities to specific symptoms
Bentall, R. P., de Sousa, P., Varese, F., Wickham, S., Sitko, K., Haarmans, M., & Read, J. (2014) · Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology · doi:10.1007/s00127-014-0914-0 · Cited by 320
“Developmental research following Bowlby [160] has shown that early relationships with a caregiver provide a template for the development of later relationships, mediated by ‘internal working models’ or relationship schemas known as attachment styles, although it is important to note that these styles may not be stable…”
BackgroundAttachment in middle childhood
Kerns, K. A., & Abtahi, M. M. (2017) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781316216491.072 · Cited by 500
“They might demonstrate that early attachment per se is important for later development, or given that attachment is moderately stable (Fraley, 2002; Pinquart et al., 2013), they might imply that associations between early attachment and later outcomes are mediated by middle childhood attachment.”
Metadata
- Authors
- Pinquart, M., Feußner, C., & Ahnert, L.
- Affiliations
- Philipps University of Marburg (DE)
- University of Vienna (AT)
- Corresponding author
- Pinquart, Martin
- Venue
- Attachment & Human Development
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2013-03
- Volume
- 15
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 189-218
- ISSN
- 1461-6734 (ISSN-L)
- 1469-2988
- OpenAlex
- W2003695103
- Cited by
- 317
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 19 · 2025: 21 · 2024: 28 · 2023: 19 · 2022: 19 · 2021: 27 · 2020: 67 · 2019: 20 · 2018: 25 · 2017: 21 · 2016: 14 · 2015: 20 · 2014: 12 · 2013: 1
- FWCI
- 17.37
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Attachment & Human Development (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychoanalysis and Psychopathology Research
- Keywords
- attachment stability, attachment security, maternal attachment, paternal attachment, time interval effects, insecure attachment, vulnerable children
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Age Factors, Child, Child, Preschool, Humans, Infant, Object Attachment, Parent-Child Relations, Risk Factors, Young Adult
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