The origins and development of attachment object behaviour

Sentimental object attachment is a phenomenon that begins early in childhood. It is widely theorised that children develop emotional attachment to specific objects as a maternal substitute which varies across cultures and socioeconomic conditions. While the need for these objects should diminish as the child becomes more independent, there is a growing body of work showing that object attachment may persist into adulthood. The reasons for this sustainment are not known but childhood object attachment is associated with a bias for unique individuals which subsequently influences preferences for authentic objects in adulthood.