Lifespan

These pages address the application of Integrated SocioPsychology concepts to lifespan development – with a specific theoretical application to infant attachments and romantic relationships. More immediately-topical observations can be found in the Blog.

Those who support the Integrated approach and are interested in such matters are invited to submit pieces for publication here as ‘guest features’ or ‘guest reports’. Please get in touch with your ideas via the Contact page.

Psychosocial Development
An exploration of Erik Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial Development in terms of Integrated SocioPsychology

Infant Attachments
The Biological Impetus to Attachment 05/11/22
A look at how biological factors and biological-environmental interaction influence mother-child bonding

Attachment Theory
Page outlining theories of attachment – and John Bowlby’s monotropic theory in particular

Stages of Infant Attachment
Article comparing the stages of infant attachment outlined by John Bowlby and Rudolph Schaffer & Peggy Emerson respectively

Strange Situation
Page outlining and evaluating Mary Ainsworth’s Strange Situation as a measure of infant attachment

Caregiver Sensitivity vs Temperament Hypothesis
A consideration of how much the elements of Mary Ainsworth’s Caregiver Sensitivity Hypothesis and Jermome Kagan’s Temperament Hypothesis might interact to develop attachments

Separation, Deprivation & Privation
In-depth article looking at the effects of separation, maternal deprivation and privation on child development

Continuity Hypothesis
An exploration of John Bowlby’s concept of the internal working model, its relationship to the health of the PURPLE vMEME and its effects throughout the lifespan

Romantic Relationships
Please note the theories and research discussed in this section are concerned with heterosexual relationships – and mostly as they occur in the West. There is still relatively little reliable research on homosexual relationships and psychological and sociological cross-cultural research on romantic/sexual relationships is still very much in its infancy.

Even Western research in this area is largely dependent on interviews and questionnaires which are vulnerable to spoiling and social desirability bias. Since most couples want to present a ‘front’ to the outside world and there are relatively few ‘normal’ couples willing to have observers in the bedroom, research is largely dependent on various forms of self-reporting.

What is Romantic Love?
Pages exploring the key theories and models of romantic love and how they might be linked to provide an Integrated SocioPsychology view of love

Romantic Relationships: Economic Theories
Article exploring and analysing ‘economic theories’ of romantic relationships

Is Sexual Infidelity Inevitable?
An explanation of infidelity and some strategies for minimising the risk of acting unfaithfully, using the Gravesian approach and Evolutionary Psychology

Maintenance and Breakdown of Relationships 08/01/19
Pages looking at the maintenance and breakdown of romantic relationships