Attachment Stability From Infancy to Adulthood: Meta-Analysis and Dynamic Modeling of Developmental Mechanisms
Abstract
A central tenet of attachment theory is that a person's attachment pattern in adulthood is a reflection of his or her attachment history—-beginning with the person's earliest attachment relationships. However, the precise way in which early representations might shape adult attachment patterns is ambiguous, and different perspectives on this issue have evolved in the literature. According to the prototype perspective, representations of early experiences are retained over time and continue to play an influential role in attachment behavior throughout the life course. In contrast, the revisionist perspective holds that early representations are subject to modification on the basis of new experiences and therefore may or may not reflect patterns of attachment later in life. In this article, I explore and test mathematical models of each of these theoretical processes on the basis of longitudinal data obtained from meta-analysis. Results indicate that attachment security is moderately stable across the first 19 years of life and that patterns of stability are best accounted for by prototype dynamics.
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Secure and supportive parenting environments provide opportunities for safe exploration and playful engagement, whereas controlling or emotionally distant caregiving may constrain playful expression.
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From Childhood and Adult Playfulness: Links with Well-Being and Interpersonal Relationships (2026) · cites this paper as Fraley, 2002
Secure attachment is linked to greater spontaneity, openness, and positive affect in relationships.
“Secure attachment has been linked to greater spontaneity, openness, and positive affect in relationships, qualities that conceptually overlap with playfulness (Fraley, 2002).”
From Childhood and Adult Playfulness: Links with Well-Being and Interpersonal Relationships (2026) · cites this paper as Fraley, 2002
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BackgroundHodes, L. N., Oosthuizen, J., Henry, M., & Thomas, K. G. F. (2022) · Development Southern Africa · doi:10.1080/0376835x.2021.2003757 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Bohn, J., Holtmann, J., Ulitzsch, E., Koch, T., Luhmann, M., & Eid, M. (2021) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.604526 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
“Fraley (2002) distinguished two perspectives on the mechanisms underlying stability and change of attachment.”
BackgroundInfluentialAttachment, perceived parental trust and grandiose narcissism: Moderated mediation models
Zhang, Q., Zhang, L., & Li, C. (2017) · Personality and Individual Differences · doi:10.1016/j.paid.2016.09.013 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Cherry, M. G., Taylor, P. J., Brown, S. L., & Sellwood, W. (2018) · BMC Psychiatry · doi:10.1186/s12888-018-1842-4 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
Not All Children Grow Up the Same
Trawick-Smith, J. (2019) · The Wiley Handbook of Early Childhood Care and Education · doi:10.1002/9781119148104.ch2 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
Predictors of Clinical Outcomes in Sexually Abused Adolescents
Tocker, L., Ben-Amitay, G., Horesh-Reinman, N., Lask, M., & Toren, P. (2017) · Journal of Child Sexual Abuse · doi:10.1080/10538712.2017.1300204 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Fall, E., & Shankland, R. (2021) · Journal of Adult Development · doi:10.1007/s10804-020-09362-0 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
L’Attachement dans le Trouble de Stress Post-Traumatique chez l’adulte : revue de la littérature
Nohales, L., Vignat, J., & Prieto, N. (2020) · La Presse Médicale Formation · doi:10.1016/j.lpmfor.2020.11.001 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Sturman, E. D. (2019) · Personality and Individual Differences · doi:10.1016/j.paid.2019.03.035 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Sidi, R., & Aisenberg-Shafran, D. (2020) · Heliyon · doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e05775 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
“Since attachment patterns show moderate stability across the lifespan (Fraley, 2002) and considering the partial difficulties with intimacy observed among kibbutz children (Sagi et al., 1994), we posited the following hypothesis: H2.”
BackgroundInfluentialPinpointing Neural Correlates of Attachment in Poly-Drug Use: A Diffusion Tensor Imaging Study
Fuchshuber, J., Unterrainer, H., Hiebler-Ragger, M., Koschutnig, K., Papousek, I., Weiss, E., & Fink, A. (2020) · Frontiers in Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnins.2020.00596 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
State attachment moderates the maternal-related neural responses to infant faces.
Ma, Y.-X., Hu, N., Liu, G.-Z., & Chen, X. (2019) · International Journal of Psychophysiology · doi:10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2019.10.007 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Smith, M., & South, S. (2021) · Social & Personality Psychology Compass · doi:10.1111/spc3.12644 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Discerning Student Depression: Religious Coping and Social Support Mediating Attachment
Klausli, J. F., & Caudill, C. (2021) · Counseling and Values · doi:10.1002/cvj.12156 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Adult Attachment Patterns Modify the Association Between Social Support and Psychological Distress
Kizuki, M., & Fujiwara, T. (2018) · Frontiers in Public Health · doi:10.3389/fpubh.2018.00249 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
- Authors
- Chris Fraley, R.
- Affiliations
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Chicago
- Venue
- Personality and Social Psychology Review
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2002-05
- Volume
- 6
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 123-151
- ISSN
- 1088-8683 (ISSN-L)
- 1532-7957
- OpenAlex
- W2002249643
- Cited by
- 1,066
- References
- 160
- Citations by year
- 2026: 40 · 2025: 45 · 2024: 58 · 2023: 46 · 2022: 49 · 2021: 65 · 2020: 79 · 2019: 68 · 2018: 60 · 2017: 49 · 2016: 59 · 2015: 58 · 2014: 55 · 2013: 60 · 2012: 45
- FWCI
- 19.92
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Personality and Social Psychology Review (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychoanalysis and Psychopathology Research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Traits and Psychology
- Keywords
- attachment security, attachment stability, attachment theory, life course development, attachment history
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