Attachment from Infancy to Adulthood: The Major Longitudinal Studies

This volume provides unique and valuable firsthand accounts of the most important longitudinal studies of attachment. Presented are a range of research programs that have broadened our understanding of early close relationships and their role in individual adaptation throughout life. In addition to discussing the findings that emerged from each study, leading investigators offer rare reflections on the process of scientific discovery. Themes addressed include the complexities of designing studies that span years or even decades; challenges in translating theoretical constructs into age-appropriate assessments; how Bowlby's original models have been refined and expanded; and how attachment interacts with other key influences on development.

Klaus E. Grossmann (PhD, University of Arkansas, 1965; Hab., University of Freiburg, 1970) first discovered the work of John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth while conducting ethological and experimental research at the University of Freiburg's Institute for Biology after receiving his doctoral degree. He was appointed Full Professor at Bielefeld University, Germany, in 1970, and began the Bielefeld Longitudinal Study in 1973. In 1977, he moved his laboratory to the University of Regensburg and started a second long-term longitudinal attachment study. Professor Grossmann's numerous publications include, most recently, a collection of John Bowlby's and Mary Ainsworth's key papers in German translation with commentary (coedited with Karin Grossmann).

Karin Grossmann (PhD, University of Regensburg, 1984) is a Senior Scientist in Psychology at the University of Regensburg, Germany. Dr. Grossmann's research focuses on longitudinal and cross-cultural research in attachment. Widely published, she recently coauthored (with Klaus Grossmann) a book based on the Bielefeld and Regensburg longitudinal studies. She also teaches and publishes on the applications of attachment theory and research in family matters.

Everett Waters, PhD, is Emeritus Professor of Psychology at Stony Brook University, State University of New York. A graduate of the University of Minnesota’s Institute of Child Development, he is a coauthor of Mary Ainsworth’s classic volume Patterns of Attachment. He is a recipient of the 2009 Bowlby–Ainsworth Award for contributions to attachment theory and measurement and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society for Emotion and Attachment Studies.