A theoretical analysis and empirical agenda for understanding the socioecology of adult attachment

Abstract

ABSTRACT The present review introduces the Socioecology of Adult Attachment (SEA) Model which argues that socioecological variation in interdependence is linked to variation in adult attachment processes. Ecologies of interdependence (characterised by blends of ecological threats, interdependent subsistence, and/or residential and relational stability) are associated with caregiving and socialisation practices that predict a relational focus in adult attachment, in which attachment-related expectations are largely defined by social obligations. In contrast, ecologies of independence (characterised by ecological safety, less interdependent subsistence, and/or residential and relational mobility) are associated with caregiving and socialisation practices that predict an individual focus in adult attachment, in which attachment-related expectations are defined by personal needs, concerns, and goals. The model generates three sets of predictions in contemporary research domains including the structure and composition of adult attachment networks, the formation of adult attachment orientations, and the alleviation and buffering of attachment insecurities.