Attachment Theory Course

Lesson 1 • Core Theoretical Premises

Defines the behavioral system, proximity seeking, and the safe haven concept. Provides the conceptual vocabulary used throughout the course.

Lesson 2 • Attachment Versus Related Constructs

Differentiates attachment from bonding, dependency, and love. Prevents conceptual confusion that undermines accurate clinical and research application.

Lesson 3 • Biological Basis of Attachment

Examines neurobiological and evolutionary underpinnings of attachment behavior. Links biological mechanisms to observable caregiver-infant interactions.

Lesson 1 • Disorganized Attachment Pattern

Examines Main and Hesse's disorganized classification and its behavioral indicators. Connects disorganization to frightening or frightened caregiver behavior.

Lesson 2 • Cultural and Contextual Variation

Reviews cross-cultural Strange Situation data and distribution differences. Cautions against applying Western norms universally in assessment contexts.

Lesson 3 • Anxious and Avoidant Patterns

Contrasts anxious-ambivalent and avoidant infant strategies. Links each pattern to specific caregiver response styles identified in research.

Lesson 4 • Secure Attachment Pattern

Characterizes secure infant behavior during separation and reunion. Identifies caregiver behaviors that reliably predict secure classification.

Lesson 1 • Stability and Change in Working Models

Evaluates longitudinal evidence on continuity and discontinuity of attachment representations. Identifies life events and relationships that promote model revision.

Lesson 2 • How Working Models Operate

Describes the automatic, largely unconscious processing functions of working models. Shows how they filter information and guide interpersonal expectations.

Lesson 3 • Concept and Formation of Working Models

Defines internal working models as cognitive-affective representations of self and others. Explains how repeated caregiver interactions consolidate these mental structures.

Lesson 1 • Attachment in Adulthood and Aging

Explores attachment dynamics in midlife transitions, bereavement, and late-life dependency. Identifies how aging affects the attachment behavioral system.

Lesson 2 • Adolescent Attachment Reorganization

Analyzes the transfer of attachment functions from parents to peers and partners. Addresses identity formation and autonomy within the attachment framework.

Lesson 3 • Toddlerhood and Preschool Attachment

Examines how the attachment system adapts as locomotion and language emerge. Identifies behavioral indicators appropriate for preschool-age assessment.

Lesson 1 • Adult Attachment and Caregiving

Examines how parental attachment state of mind predicts infant attachment classification. Establishes the intergenerational transmission mechanism central to clinical work.

Lesson 2 • Adult Attachment Classifications

Describes autonomous, dismissing, preoccupied, and unresolved adult classifications. Connects each state of mind to corresponding infant attachment patterns.

Lesson 3 • Attachment in Romantic Relationships

Applies attachment theory to adult pair bonds, conflict, and intimacy regulation. Distinguishes attachment system activation in romantic versus caregiving contexts.

Lesson 4 • Self-Report Attachment Measures

Reviews dimensional self-report tools measuring anxiety and avoidance in relationships. Compares self-report and interview methods for research and clinical use.

Lesson 1 • Early Deprivation and Institutional Care

Reviews evidence from institutional care studies on severe attachment deprivation. Identifies sensitive periods and recovery potential after early deprivation.

Lesson 2 • Separation and Loss Effects

Examines Bowlby's phases of protest, despair, and detachment following separation. Connects acute loss responses to longer-term attachment reorganization.

Lesson 3 • Maltreatment and Attachment Disruption

Links physical abuse, neglect, and emotional maltreatment to disorganized attachment. Explains the paradox of the caregiver as both threat and safe haven.

Lesson 4 • Resilience and Protective Factors

Identifies individual, relational, and contextual factors that buffer attachment disruption. Grounds intervention design in evidence-based resilience mechanisms.

Lesson 1 • Child Narrative Assessment Methods

Introduces story stem and doll play techniques for assessing school-age attachment representations. Links narrative themes to underlying working model content.

Lesson 2 • Communicating Assessment Findings

Teaches how to translate attachment assessment results into actionable professional reports. Emphasizes strengths-based framing and avoiding stigmatizing language.

Lesson 3 • Infant and Toddler Assessment Tools

Reviews observational measures for infants and toddlers beyond the Strange Situation. Guides selection based on age, setting, and referral question.

Lesson 4 • Adolescent and Adult Assessment

Covers interview and self-report tools appropriate for adolescents and adults. Addresses training requirements and limitations of each method.

Lesson 1 • Couple and Family Interventions

Examines attachment-based couple and family therapy models and their evidence base. Connects adult attachment patterns to relational cycles targeted in treatment.

Lesson 2 • Attachment-Informed Individual Therapy

Applies attachment principles to individual psychotherapy across the lifespan. Identifies how the therapeutic relationship functions as a corrective attachment experience.

Lesson 3 • Early Childhood Intervention Programs

Reviews evidence-based programs targeting caregiver sensitivity and infant attachment security. Compares program structures, dosage, and outcome evidence.

Lesson 4 • Principles of Attachment-Based Intervention

Defines the shared mechanisms across attachment-based programs, including sensitivity enhancement and reflective functioning promotion. Provides a framework for evaluating any intervention's attachment focus.