Our understanding of attachment has evolved over the years, with multiple theories contributing to the modern understanding of attachment behavior in children and its influence on adult relationships. Our notes will explore this progression and draw parallels with other areas of knowledge.

• Attachment behaviors develop and become more complex as we grow, leading to a more diversified and detailed internal working model of relationships.

• Fun fact: Picture a 4-year-old child. When you tell them you'll be back in the evening, they can hold back their tears. This is an example of an evolved attachment behavior, where children can delay their automatic separation distress reactions if they understand there's a plan for reunion with their caregiver.

• Our early childhood attachments influence our future romantic attachments. Shaver and Hazan (1988) found a correlation between adults' attachment styles in romantic relationships and the attachment styles they had with their caregivers in childhood.

• Let's imagine you have a friend who always avoids getting too close to their partner. It's possible that this 'avoidant' style of attachment was also how they interacted with their parents during childhood.

• This gives rise to questions such as whether our interactions with our primary caregiver in infancy significantly shape our future romantic relationships. Can we consciously change these patterns later in life?