The development of attachment styles

Many of the enduring questions in attachment theory and research concern the origins of individual differences in attachment. Specifically, what makes some people more secure than others? How are those differences sustained across time? And what leads people to change? The purpose of this chapter is to review briefly theory and research on how attachment patterns develop and the processes that give rise to continuity and change. We also highlight some new directions in attachment research that have implications for how we understand continuity and change.