The Associations Between Insecure Attachment Dimensions and Neural Activations During Socio-Affective Stimuli Tasks
Giorgio Veneziani1, Emanuele Giraldi1, Marianna Mazza2,3
1Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
Developmental Psychobiology
|March 25, 2026
Summary
Attachment strategies and their neural correlates differ by age. Younger individuals show varied brain activations for avoidant and anxious attachment, while older adults exhibit distinct patterns, suggesting age-related differences in attachment regulation.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
- Developmental Science
Background:
- Attachment strategies evolve across the lifespan.
- Neural changes during development can influence attachment strategies.
- Insecure attachment dimensions are increasingly studied for their neural correlates.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review and meta-analyze the neural correlates of insecure attachment dimensions (avoidant and anxious) across different age groups.
- To investigate age-related differences in brain activation patterns associated with socio-affective stimuli in individuals with insecure attachment.
Main Methods:
- A systematic review following PRISMA guidelines and an activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analysis were conducted.
- 1743 articles were screened, with 15 ultimately included in the analysis.
- Brain activations were examined in relation to avoidant and anxious attachment dimensions in younger and older individuals during socio-affective tasks.
Main Results:
- In younger individuals, avoidant attachment correlated with both positive and negative activations in limbic regions (e.g., insula, amygdala).
- In older individuals, avoidant attachment was linked only to negative sub-lobar activations (caudate tail).
- Anxious attachment showed varied associations in younger individuals but primarily positive associations in older adults, particularly in limbic areas (parahippocampus, temporal pole).
Conclusions:
- Preliminary findings suggest significant age-related differences in the neural underpinnings of insecure attachment.
- Younger individuals may possess more flexible attachment regulation strategies compared to older individuals.
- These age-specific neural patterns have potential clinical implications for attachment-based interventions.
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