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Assessing the Coherence of Parents' Short Narratives Regarding their Child Using the Five-Minute Speech Sample Procedure
Published on: September 19, 2019
Attachment bonds: a foundation for understanding social relationships
Carley Vornlocher1, Michelle N Shiota1
1Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA cvornloc@asu.edu lani.shiota@asu.edu.
The Behavioral and Brain Sciences
|May 27, 2026
Summary
Infants may use Relational Models Theory to categorize social bonds. This classification could build on innate attachment processes, influencing early social cognition development.
Area of Science:
- Developmental psychology
- Social cognition
- Attachment theory
Background:
- Infants form selective bonds with caregivers, a process detailed by attachment theory.
- Relational Models Theory provides a framework for understanding social relationship categorization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose that infants utilize Relational Models Theory for classifying social relationships.
- To explore the connection between infant attachment mechanisms and relationship classification.
Main Methods:
- Theoretical proposal integrating existing research from attachment theory and Relational Models Theory.
- Analysis of early-emerging psychological processes in infant social bonding.
Main Results:
- Infant social relationship classification may leverage innate attachment-related psychological mechanisms.
- This integration offers a novel perspective on early social cognitive development.
Conclusions:
- Infant social classification likely builds upon established attachment processes.
- This framework has significant implications for future research in developmental social cognition.
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