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Attachment, social rank, and affect regulation: speculations on an ethological approach to family interaction
Leon Sloman1, Leslie Atkinson, Karen Milligan
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 250 College Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5T 1R8. leon_sloman@camh.net
Abstract:
The attachment and social rank systems are biological-evolutionary systems that can serve as models for conceptualizing family interaction. By exploring both their unique and interrelated impact on affect regulation, we can differentiate between processes that foster healthy growth and those leading to individual psychopathology. This perspective facilitates the integration of biological and psychological models, and has therapeutic implications. It also integrates well with other family therapy models.
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