Are Childhood Experiences with Parents Linked to Feelings in Romantic Relationships During Adulthood

During the last three decades, attachment theory has been one of the most influential theories of social-emotional development in modern psychology stimulating a great amount of research in the fields of developmental, clinical and social psychology (Hazan & Diamond, 2000; Fraley & Shaver, 2000; Meyer & Pilkonis, 2001; Mikulincer & Florian, 1999). Its contribution rests in the fact that it has provided a broad and deep understanding of personality processes and human development and interactions in childhood and adulthood. Moreover, it has demonstrated that attachment behavior is a major component of the human behavioral equipment throughout life, and that early experience plays a determinative role in the emergence and organization of secure-base behavior (Posada et al., 1999).