Attachment as mutual help

Abstract

In adult attachment relationships, couples act as a safe haven and secure base with each other. Therefore, the attachment relation in adulthood is a mutual help relation. In this article, we review three topics related to attachment. First, the basic outline and measurement methods of adult attachment studies are discussed. The transfer and hierarchical structure of the attachment figure are also mentioned. Second, based on the model of “circle of security in adulthood,” the research on safe haven and secure base are outlined. Individual differences of these functions caused by attachment styles were also outlined. Third, the stage and reaction when attachment figure was lost, and the individual difference were discussed. A common and important point in these discussions is that the essence of the adult attachment relation is “felt security.”