Attachment and Spiritual Maturity 27
findings including: attachment formation, internal working models, individual differences,
maintenance of relationships, reactions to dissolution, influences on overall functioning,
and individual and gender differences. Their work is the basis for various studies
exploring attachment style relevant in adult peer relationships (Bartholomew &
Horowitz, 1990; Bartholomew & Horowitz, 1991; Collins & Read, 1994; Feeney, Noller, & Callan, 1994; Hazen & Shaver, 1987).
In response to this research, it would be a mistake to seek to view all connections
between relationships in terms of a persistence of attachment qualities. There are many
other features that require explanation. There are no observational studies of adult
attachment behavior and corresponding attachment behavior systems as there are in
infancy and early childhood. There is a need both to consider dyadic relationships in
terms that go beyond attachment concepts, and to consider social systems that extend
beyond dyads (Hinde, 1979). Hinde suggests that Hazan and Shaver (1994) be more
flexible in considering the many influences throughout life that may change the neural
foundation of attachment. However, there is evidence that shows that adult attachment
behavior is related to principles that were organized in early infant attachment behavior.
Summary of the Psychological Foundations ofRelational Maturity
At present, attachment seems to be the most promising theoretical perspective for
understanding adult relationships. Attachment theory, focusing on internal
representation, sees emotion as the primary signal of the success and failure of attachment
and as motivating attachment-seeking behaviors. Strategies for regulating the attachment
system govern feelings as well as thoughts and behaviors (Shaver, Hazan, & Bradshaw,
1988). For individuals who employ secure strategies, feelings serve to appraise
caregivers' accessibility, motivate goal-directed activity, monitor goal states, and signal to
others their need for attachment (Bowlby, 1969). Attachment theory suggests that adult love is an emotional bond addressing the
innate needs for security, protection, and contact with a significant other. This bond is
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