The DOI matches its Crossref record; 13 of the 13 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
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 (Fraley, 2002;Linkiewich et al., 2021;Wilhelm et al., 2016).”
From Childhood and Adult Playfulness: Links with Well-Being and Interpersonal Relationships (2026) · cites this paper as Fraley, 2002
In the citing paper
“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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Metadata
- 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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