Key Differences Between Developmental and Social Personality Attachment Theories
1. Origins and Goals
Developmental attachment theory comes from the work of Bowlby and Ainsworth, focusing on how people mentally process attachment through personal narratives. Its main goal is to understand personality, relationship struggles, and mental health across a person’s life. On the other hand, social personality attachment theory started in social psychology, originally to explain loneliness, and later expanded to adult romantic relationships. This approach focuses on how people experience intimacy and describes attachment in terms of “adult attachment styles.”
2. How Attachment Is Defined
Even though both theories use similar language, they see attachment very differently. The developmental approach treats attachment as a structured system that organizes relationships and survival instincts over time. It’s not just a personality trait but an essential system for protection and connection. In contrast, the social personality approach defines attachment as a set of traits, like how anxious or avoidant someone is in relationships.
3. How Attachment Is Measured
One major difference is in how attachment is assessed. Developmental researchers use narrative-based methods like the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) and the Adult Attachment Projective Picture System (AAP). These tools analyze how people talk about their past relationships, focusing on thought patterns and emotional organization rather than just their memories. Social personality researchers, however, use self-report surveys, where people answer questions about their relationship experiences and feelings.
4. What the Assessments Focus On
Developmental assessments examine how people organize their thoughts about attachment experiences, rather than just what they recall. They explore subconscious defensive processes that shape attachment patterns. Social personality assessments, in contrast, rely on self-perception and personal reports about relationships, emphasizing conscious thoughts and beliefs.
5. Activation of the Attachment System
Some developmental assessments, like the AAP, try to trigger a person’s attachment system during testing by using emotional stimuli. This helps researchers see attachment behaviors in action. Social personality tests, on the other hand, are usually written surveys taken in a neutral setting, meaning they don’t activate a person’s attachment responses in real time.
6. Do the Two Theories Overlap?
Studies show that the two approaches don’t match up well—someone’s developmental attachment status doesn’t strongly predict their attachment style on a questionnaire. Even social personality researchers acknowledge that these methods measure different things.
7. Connection to Bowlby and Ainsworth
While both theories claim to be based on Bowlby and Ainsworth’s work, the developmental approach sticks more closely to their original ideas. It focuses on how attachment supports survival and emotional development from early childhood. The social personality approach adapted Bowlby’s ideas later, shaping them into a broader model of intimacy and relationships.
8. Who Is Considered an Attachment Figure?
Developmental attachment theory primarily looks at specific caregivers—the people responsible for protection and security. In contrast, the social personality model expands attachment to include not just caregivers but also romantic partners, coworkers, and other close relationships.
9. The Role of Defense Mechanisms
The developmental approach emphasizes unconscious defense mechanisms—the ways people avoid or suppress difficult attachment-related emotions. Tools like the AAP are designed to reveal these defenses in action. Social personality research generally doesn’t focus on this aspect, instead prioritizing conscious thoughts and self-reports.