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No reliable gender differences in attachment across the lifespan

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 February 2009

Marian J. Bakermans-Kranenburg  and
Marinus H. van IJzendoorn
Marian J. Bakermans-Kranenburg
Affiliation:
Centre for Child and Family Studies, Leiden University, NL-2300 RB Leiden, The Netherlands. [email protected]@fsw.leidenuniv.nlhttp://www.socialsciences.leidenuniv.nl/educationandchildstudies/childandfamilystudies/organisation/bakermans-kranenburg.jsphttp://www.socialsciences.leidenuniv.nl/educationandchildstudies/childandfamilystudies/organisation/van-ijzendoorn.jsp
Marinus H. van IJzendoorn
Affiliation:
Centre for Child and Family Studies, Leiden University, NL-2300 RB Leiden, The Netherlands. [email protected]@fsw.leidenuniv.nlhttp://www.socialsciences.leidenuniv.nl/educationandchildstudies/childandfamilystudies/organisation/bakermans-kranenburg.jsphttp://www.socialsciences.leidenuniv.nl/educationandchildstudies/childandfamilystudies/organisation/van-ijzendoorn.jsp
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Abstract

In middle childhood, boys show more avoidant attachments and girls more ambivalent attachments as a prelude to gender differentiation in reproductive strategies. However, we have failed to find systematic and method-independent gender differences in middle or late childhood attachments, nor in adult attachment representations. We conclude that Del Giudice's model rests on a brittle empirical basis.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 32 , Issue 1 , February 2009 , pp. 22 - 23
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2009

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