Attachment Styles: From Psychology to Social Media
The concepts of 'anxious' and 'avoidant', rooted in John Bowlby's attachment theory from the 1950s, pertain to adult romantic connections. In the 1960s and 1970s, Mary Ainsworth's 'Strange Situation' studies revealed secure, anxious, and avoidant attachment styles, with the disorganized style being recognized later. In the 1980s, Cindy Hazan and Philip Shaver extended these findings to adults. The 2010 publication 'Attached' by Amir Levine and Rachel Heller brought these ideas into the mainstream, sparking significant social media engagement since 2021. Critics challenge the binary of 'good' versus 'bad' styles and the belief in fixed attachment, emphasizing that attachment can evolve and that labeling can lead to self-fulfilling prophecies, similar to the term 'narcissist'.
Key facts
- Attachment theory was formulated by John Bowlby in the 1950s.
- Mary Ainsworth developed the 'Strange Situation' experiment in the 1960s-70s.
- Ainsworth identified secure, anxious, and avoidant attachment styles; disorganized was added later.
- Cindy Hazan and Philip Shaver applied attachment theory to adult relationships in the 1980s.
- The book 'Attached' by Amir Levine and Rachel Heller was published in 2010.
- Attachment styles became popular on social media starting in 2021.
- Amir Levine suggested that periods of threat can activate the attachment system.
- Todd Baratz linked the phenomenon to the ambiguous nature of modern dating.
- Experts argue that attachment styles are not fixed and can change over time.
- The term 'avoidant' is often used negatively, similar to 'narcissist'.
Entities
Artists
- John Bowlby
- Mary Ainsworth
- Cindy Hazan
- Philip Shaver
- Amir Levine
- Rachel Heller
- Todd Baratz
- Heather Sequeira
- Zoe Hazelwood
Institutions
- World Health Organization
- Nylon
- CNBC
- Refinery29