Abstract

PONTES, Fernando Augusto Ramos; SILVA, Simone Souza da Costa; GAROTTI, Marilice  and  MAGALHAES, Celina Maria Colino. Attachment theory: elements for a systematic conception of human bonding. Aletheia [online]. 2007, n.26, pp. 67-79. ISSN 1413-0394.

The importance of attachment theory for developmental psychology refers to the fact that it includes the basic conceptual elements for examining the nature of affective bonding in humans across the life span. Bowlby’s and Ainsworth’s postulates have not been amenable to adjustments demanded by contemporary psychology that conceives of development as a multidetermined phenomenon affected by variables within the individual’s social context. According to the systemic perspective, the notion of “context” goes beyond physical properties and includes symbolic and social elements of primary inter-individual bonding. Recent research in attachment emphasizes not only individual relationships, but also considers the contextual factors that influence affective bonding. Thus, the dynamics of attachment is subject to individual, relational and contextual factors. This article seeks to describe changes in the concept of attachment and stresses the necessity of an integrative perspective, incorporating earlier postulates with more contemporary theoretical reformulations that focus on cultural and systemic constraints.

Keywords : Attachment theory; Relationships; Systems; Family.

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