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The Biology of Attachment Formation
Pernille Bülow
Affiliation: PernilleBülow (Private Enterprise), Boston, United States of America
Keywords: Biology, Oxytocin, Attachment Formation, Caregiver, Child, Wellbeing
Categories: News and Views, Life Sciences, Medicine
DOI: 10.17160/josha.10.4.885
Languages: English
In this article, we explore the biology behind the process of attachment formation between a caregiver and a child. The focus is primarily on mothers and their infants or young toddlers, but we anticipate that the science extends to other populations as well. We discuss the biological process of attachment formation and the factors that influence the quality of attachment between a parent and child. While there may be hormonal differences between males and females, both can form strong attachments, and the hormone oxytocin plays a critical role in forming attachments in both caregiver-child and romantic relationships. In the end, what it comes down to is that it is an adult who is personally invested in the wellbeing of a child. This article was first published in Subkiton on November 01, 2022 (https://www.subkit.com/pernillebuelow/posts/the-biology-of-attachment-formation)