The attachment wiki
Short, sourced articles on the ideas behind the four styles. Every claim points to published research, and every article says where the research ends.
Foundations
Where attachment theory comes from and what it describes. 4 articles
Attachment Style vs Attachment Disorder: Not the Same Thing
Attachment style vs attachment disorder: why everyday relational tendencies differ from clinical diagnoses like reactive attachment disorder.
Read the articleAttachment Theory: From Bowlby's Infants to Adult Relationships
Attachment theory explained: Bowlby's ideas on the bond between child and caregiver, Ainsworth's research, and how it grew into adult attachment styles.
Read the articleDismissive Avoidant vs Fearful Avoidant: The Difference
Dismissive avoidant and fearful avoidant compared: what the two avoidant styles share, where they differ, and a side by side table based on the research.
Read the articleThe Four Attachment Styles: Bartholomew's Four-Category Model
The four attachment styles explained: secure, preoccupied, dismissing and fearful, built on models of self and other, and how they map onto two dimensions.
Read the articleResearch
The studies and models behind the four styles. 3 articles
Attachment Anxiety and Avoidance: The Two Dimensions Behind Every Style
Attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance are the two dimensions behind adult attachment styles. Where they come from and why scores beat boxes.
Read the articleDisorganized Attachment: Where the Term Comes From
Disorganized attachment explained: its origin in infant research by Main and Solomon, its link to the adult fearful-avoidant style, and what it is not.
Read the articleThe Strange Situation: How Ainsworth Studied Infant Attachment
The Strange Situation explained: Ainsworth's eight-episode procedure, the infant categories, disorganized attachment and what it says about adults.
Read the articleChange and growth
How attachment patterns shift, and what they are not. 2 articles
7 Attachment Style Myths and What the Research Actually Says
Seven common attachment style myths, from fixed styles to cold avoidants and needy anxious partners, checked against what attachment research shows.
Read the articleEarned Secure Attachment: Can Attachment Styles Change?
Earned secure attachment explained: what research by Main and Roisman shows, how stable attachment styles are, and everyday routes toward more security.
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