Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Theory of Romantic Attachment in Adulthood03:34

Theory of Romantic Attachment in Adulthood

48.5K
Attachment is a long-standing connection or bond with others. While Attachment Theory was conceived in developmental psychology to describe infant-caregiver bonding, it's been extended into adulthood to include romantic relationships. 
48.5K
Attachment01:20

Attachment

398
Attachment is vital for infant development, as warm social interactions support growth and well-being. In a classic 1958 study by Harry Harlow, the significance of warmth and comfort in forming attachments was examined. Harlow separated newborn monkeys from their mothers and provided two artificial "mothers": one made of cold wire and the other covered in soft cloth. Despite the wire mother offering food, the infant monkeys preferred the comfort of the cloth mother, demonstrating that...
398
Hazan and Shaver's Attachment Styles01:28

Hazan and Shaver's Attachment Styles

276
Attachment theory, developed initially to explain infant–caregiver bonds, has been extended to illuminate patterns of intimacy in adult romantic relationships. Psychologists Cindy Hazan and Phillip Shaver proposed that the attachment styles observed in infancy form a framework for how individuals approach emotional closeness and conflict in adulthood. These attachment styles—secure, avoidant, and anxious—are linked to enduring patterns of behavior and emotional regulation in...
276
Attachment Styles01:24

Attachment Styles

157
Jeffrey Simpson's attachment theory suggests that early caregiver relationships shape lasting patterns of behavior and emotional regulation, known as attachment styles. These patterns are organized along two key dimensions: self-esteem and interpersonal trust. The intersection of these dimensions produces four primary attachment styles that typically persist throughout life and significantly influence how individuals form and maintain relationships.Secure Attachment StyleIndividuals with a...
157
Factors Affecting Perception01:25

Factors Affecting Perception

2.5K
Perception is influenced by perceptual set, context, motivation, and emotion. Perceptual set, or perceptual expectancy, refers to the tendency to perceive things in a particular way, influenced by previous experiences and expectations. This phenomenon affects the interpretation of stimuli, creating a set of mental tendencies and assumptions that impact sensory perceptions of sound, taste, touch, and sight.
An illustrative example of a perceptual set is the scenario where an airline pilot told...
2.5K
Role of Affect in Interpersonal Attraction01:24

Role of Affect in Interpersonal Attraction

151
Affect plays a crucial role in shaping interpersonal evaluations and perceptions. Emotions influence how individuals judge and respond to others, often determining whether interactions are viewed positively or negatively. This effect can manifest directly through interactions with the person in question or indirectly via associations with unrelated emotional experiences.Direct Effects of Affect on AttractionAffect directly influences interpersonal attraction when a person’s behavior...
151

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Factors Influencing Clinical Skills for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Individuals' Care Among Italian Primary, Sexual and Reproductive, and Mental Health Practitioners.

LGBT health·2026
Same author

Attachment in lesbian and gay parent families: a systematic review, theoretical advancements, and a 10-year research agenda.

Attachment & human development·2026
Same author

Having Already Brought Children into a Burning World: Childhood Experiences of Disorganization and Role Reversal in Primary Caregiving Mothers Who Regret Their Parenthood in the Age of Climate Crisis.

The Journal of genetic psychology·2026
Same author

Predicting Change in Brief Treatment for BPD: The Role of Defensive Functioning and Pervasiveness in Relationship Patterns.

Journal of clinical psychology·2026
Same author

Parental mentalisation of climate change during parent-child climate conversations: A qualitative investigation.

Psychology and psychotherapy·2026
Same author

"<i>How Do You Manage It? I Couldn't; I'm Way Too Jealous</i>!" A Qualitative Research on How Polyamorous People Deal with Their Partners' Relationships.

Journal of sex research·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 18, 2025

Using Facial Electromyography to Assess Facial Muscle Reactions to Experienced and Observed Affective Touch in Humans
04:27

Using Facial Electromyography to Assess Facial Muscle Reactions to Experienced and Observed Affective Touch in Humans

Published on: March 15, 2019

11.6K

Disorganized Attachment pattern affects the perception of Affective Touch.

Grazia Fernanda Spitoni1,2, Pietro Zingaretti3, Guido Giovanardi4

  • 1Department of Dynamic and Clinic Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy. grazia.spitoni@uniroma1.it.

Scientific Reports
|June 17, 2020
PubMed
Summary

Early life trauma and disorganized attachment make pleasant touch feel unpleasant. This study links early experiences to altered touch perception and fight-or-flight responses in the brain.

More Related Videos

Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Hyperscanning Study in Psychological Counseling
06:04

Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Hyperscanning Study in Psychological Counseling

Published on: January 17, 2025

1.2K
Use of a Psychophysiological Script-driven Imagery Experiment to Study Trauma-related Dissociation in Borderline Personality Disorder
09:55

Use of a Psychophysiological Script-driven Imagery Experiment to Study Trauma-related Dissociation in Borderline Personality Disorder

Published on: March 8, 2018

13.0K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Dec 18, 2025

Using Facial Electromyography to Assess Facial Muscle Reactions to Experienced and Observed Affective Touch in Humans
04:27

Using Facial Electromyography to Assess Facial Muscle Reactions to Experienced and Observed Affective Touch in Humans

Published on: March 15, 2019

11.6K
Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Hyperscanning Study in Psychological Counseling
06:04

Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Hyperscanning Study in Psychological Counseling

Published on: January 17, 2025

1.2K
Use of a Psychophysiological Script-driven Imagery Experiment to Study Trauma-related Dissociation in Borderline Personality Disorder
09:55

Use of a Psychophysiological Script-driven Imagery Experiment to Study Trauma-related Dissociation in Borderline Personality Disorder

Published on: March 8, 2018

13.0K

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Psychology
  • Psychophysics

Background:

  • Affective touch, processed by C-tactile (CT) afferents, has a hedonic component.
  • Tactile processing alterations are observed in psychiatric conditions and disorganized attachment.
  • Disorganized attachment may be linked to difficulties in perceiving affective touch.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of disorganized attachment on the perception of affective touch.
  • To explore the neural mechanisms underlying altered touch perception in disorganized attachment.

Main Methods:

  • Combined clinical psychology, psychophysics, and neuroimaging.
  • Assessed perception of caress-like stimuli in individuals with organized and disorganized attachment.
  • Measured neural responses to C-tactile (CT) and non-CT afferent stimulation.

Main Results:

  • Individuals with disorganized attachment and a history of traumatic parental bonds perceived caress-like stimuli as unpleasant.
  • Participants with organized attachment found the same stimuli pleasant.
  • Disorganized adults showed limbic and paralimbic activation during CT and non-CT stimulation, indicative of a fight-or-flight response.

Conclusions:

  • Early experiences of parental deficiencies shape physiological responses to affective touch.
  • Disorganized attachment is associated with altered perception of pleasant touch and distinct neural processing patterns.
  • These findings highlight the enduring impact of early life experiences on sensory processing and emotional regulation.