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A psychobiological theory of attachment

G W Kraemer1

  • 1Harlow Primate Laboratory, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53715, Electronic mail: kraemer@primate.wisc.edu.

The Behavioral and Brain Sciences
|June 14, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Infant attachment forms a neurobiological "image" of the caregiver, regulating brain function. Failures in this crucial process can lead to social dysfunction and later psychopathology.

Area of Science:

  • Neurobiology
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Psychiatry

Background:

  • The infant's first attachment to a caregiver is crucial for healthy development.
  • Sensorimotor systems, implicated in emotion and memory, are influenced by biogenic amines.
  • Disruptions in early social attachment can have long-term consequences.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe the neurobiological underpinnings of early primate attachment.
  • To explain how caregiver characteristics are internalized and influence brain function.
  • To elucidate the link between attachment disruptions and psychopathology.

Main Methods:

  • Review of current models of sensorimotor analysis and emotion.
  • Exploration of the role of biogenic amine systems in habit and memory.
  • Analysis of the neurobiological basis of social development.

Main Results:

  • Infants internalize a neurobiological representation of their caregiver's traits.
  • This internalized 'image' regulates key aspects of brain function.
  • Attachment failures are linked to social dysfunction and psychopathology.

Conclusions:

  • Early attachment establishes a neurobiological foundation for social and emotional regulation.
  • Deficits in the attachment process can result in developmental and adult psychopathology.
  • Understanding the neurobiology of attachment is key to addressing social dysfunction.

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