Robotics agents are meant to play an increasingly larger role in our everyday lives. To be successfully integrated in our environment, robots will need to develop and display adaptive, robust, and socially suitable behaviours. To tackle these issues, the robotics research community has invested a considerable amount of efforts in modelling robotic architectures inspired by research on living systems, from ethology to developmental psychology. Following a similar approach, this thesis presents the research results of the modelling and experimental testing of robotic architectures based on affective and attachment bonds between young infants and their primary caregiver. I follow a bottom-up approach to the modelling of such bonds, examining how they can promote the situated development of an autonomous robot. Specifically, the models used and the results from the experiments carried out in laboratory settings and with naive users demonstrate the impact such affective bonds have on the learning outcomes of an autonomous robot and on the perception and behaviour of humans. This research leads to the emphasis on the importance of the interplay between the dynamics of the regulatory behaviours performed by a robot and the responsiveness of the human partner. The coupling of such signals and behaviours in an attachment-like dyad determines the nature of the outcomes for the robot, in terms of learning or the satisfaction of other needs. The experiments carried out also demonstrate of the attachment system can help a robot adapt its own social behaviour to that of the human partners, as infants are thought to do during their development.

Approximately 10% of adults living in the United States meet criteria for a Substance Use Disorder. Although 12-step groups are considered evidence-based practices for substance use problems, an understanding of the underlying mechanisms by which they facilitate recovery practices remains in its infancy. The purpose of the current study was to explore whether attachment could be considered a possible mediator of the effects of recovery practices on positive psychosocial outcomes. Participants (N = 112) were self-identified NA members from 26 U.S. states who completed an online survey assessing attachment style, psychosocial sense of community, psychological well-being, and various other recovery and psychosocial constructs. Results indicated a number of recovery-related practices emerged as significant predictors of secure attachment, over and above covariates. For example, higher levels of home group comfort were associated with increased probability of secure attachment classification (by self-report). In general, psychological sense of community did not significantly predict secure attachment, over and above covariates. Although attachment predicted psychological well-being in univariate models, it generally failed to predict psychological well-being in models that included covariates and recovery-related predictors. Theoretically, these data suggest that functional social support variables are primary recovery-related predictors implicated in NA-involvement, above and beyond other structural social support variables. This further suggests that attachment-related dimensions of 12-step interventions may be integral to recovery outcomes.

Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy (EFT; Johnson, 2004) addresses relationship distress by facilitating the development of new patterns of interaction between partners. These new patterns of interaction are based on partners' vulnerable acknowledgement and expression of attachment needs. Partners' engagement in these new patterns of interaction is thought to improve their relationship-specific attachment bond. Although previous studies have shown EFT to result in excellent relationship satisfaction outcomes (Johnson, Hunsley, Greenberg & Schindler, 1999), research had yet clearly to demonstrate if and how EFT facilitates increases in partners' relationship-specific models attachment security over the course of therapy. To address this research gap, the current study employed Hierarchical Linear Modelling (HLM; Singer & Willet, 2003) to investigate the pattern of change in couples' (n=32) self-reported relationship satisfaction and relationship-specific attachment over the course of EFT. Couples reported significant linear increases in their relationship satisfaction and significant linear decreases in their relationship-specific attachment avoidance over the course of therapy. Couples who completed the blamer-softening therapeutic change event (n=16) demonstrated significant linear decreases in their relationship-specific attachment anxiety after completing this event. Decreases in relationship-specific attachment anxiety predicted increases in couples' relationship satisfaction over the course of therapy. Couples also demonstrated significant increases in the security of their pre-post-therapy relationship-specific attachment behaviour, as coded Secure Base Scoring System (Crowell, Treboux, Gao, Fyffe, Pan & Waters, 2002). The current study also used HLM (Singer & Willet, 2003) to examine how the completion of blamer-softening impacted softened couples' relationship-specific attachment anxiety, and whether the completion of blamer-softening had a similar impact on softened couples' relationship-specific attachment avoidance and relationship satisfaction. Softened couples reported an immediate increase in relationship satisfaction and immediate decrease relationship-specific attachment avoidance at the softening session. Further, softened couples' post-softening decreases in relationship-specific attachment anxiety were initially preceded by an increase at the softening session. These results provided an understanding of how EFT leads to increases in couples' relationship-specific attachment security. These results provide support for the use of attachment theory in the treatment of relationship distress, and also provide an illustration of how attachment can shift over the course of a therapeutic intervention.

Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy (EFT; Johnson, 2004) is an empirically validated approach to couple therapy that uses attachment theory to understand the needs and emotions of romantic partners. In EFT, relationship distress is conceptualized as resulting from negative affect, emotional disconnection, and unmet attachment needs. Although EFT is recognized as one of the most researched and effective approaches to couple therapy, little research has examined theoretically related characteristics of couples to changes in marital satisfaction throughout EFT. The present doctoral thesis examined this area of literature. Thirty-two couples were provided approximately 21 sessions of EFT. The goal of the first study was to identify intake characteristics related to change in marital satisfaction over the course of EFT. Couples completed self-report measures of marital satisfaction, attachment security, relationship trust, and emotional control at pre- and post-therapy and after each therapy session. Individuals higher on self-report attachment anxiety and higher levels of emotional control had greater change in marital satisfaction over the course of EFT. The goal of the second study was to examine intake levels of attachment security and its relationship to the occurrence of the blamer-softening event, a key change event in EFT, and changes in marital satisfaction. Results indicated that the occurrence of a blamer-softening event significantly predicted positive changes in marital satisfaction. Results also suggested that the occurrence of a softening event significantly moderated the relationship between attachment avoidance at intake and change in marital satisfaction from pre- to post-therapy. For couples who completed a blamer-softening event, partners with lower levels of attachment avoidance were more likely to have positive changes in marital satisfaction. However, this relationship was not evident for attachment anxiety. Overall, results from this thesis suggest that attachment security is a key characteristic of couple partners for therapists to consider when implementing EFT. Therapists may benefit from assessing attachment security at the start of therapy to help inform them of the emotion regulating strategies used by couple partners. This information may help therapists to tailor specific interventions such that couples may begin to develop more secure attachment bonds.

In the last few years, approximately 40 000 of unaccompanied children, mainly boys, have arrived in Sweden. Initially, these minors were placed into residential care units (HVB). Media has suggested that these adolescents, have difficulties associated to poor mental health. Earlier research concerning the mental state of these minors, indicates a high prevalence of PTSD. This motivated the aim of this study: to explore the professionals’ understanding of support and the form of housing that accommodates these minors, related to poor mental health. An interpretive approach was chosen with attachment theory and Goffmans’ theory regarding institutional life, as theoretical bedrocks and six qualitative semi- structured interviews formed the basis for the result. Four central themes were discovered through content data analysis. The themes indicated that the boys are under pressure and experiencing stress which is a recurrent experience for some authorities and health care units, responsible for supporting these adolescents. However, the personal support from individuals, demonstrates a commitment that likely has a positive impact on these boys life. While the form of housing may have a harmful effect, it could also be cultural differences combined with PTSD affecting the emotional state of unaccompanied children living in Sweden.

Emotionally Focused Therapy has been shown to produce statistically significant and sustainable change in couples (Wiebe, Johnson, Lafontaine, Burgess Moser, Dalgleish, & Tasca, 2017). This change has also been shown to extend to the family system through the use of Emotionally Focused Family Therapy (Stavrianopoulos, Faller, & Furrow, 2014). The methodology focuses on developing resilience through the co-regulation of the family system by developing secure attachment bonds (Wiebe & Johnson, 2017). EFFT strives to develop a high level of security within families that promotes more fluid communication patterns and more flexible problem solving strategies (Johnson & Lee, 2005). One of the most important steps in developing this security is by clarifying the current interactional cycles taking place, which typically leave the attachment needs of the family unmet (Johnson & Brubacher, 2016). Clinicians who help clients track their interactional cycles lay the foundation for effective change.

In recent years, a large number of refugees have migrated to many different countries. The migrations are due to conflicts, war and poverty: Migrants are leaving their homes in search of more peaceful havens. Sweden has been one of the countries receiving the largest number of refugees in Europe. As a consequence, the arrival of refugees has an impact on the country’s ability to adapt to serve the refugees’ needs. This study focuses on refugee children, who can be highly affected by their past traumatic experiences and different resettlement processes. The research studies the importance of building meaningful relationships for refugee children in the preschool, in order to encourage and facilitate their development. In this research, the term “meaningful relationship” is understood as a healthy relationship with someone that shows care, support and encourages individual growth. The study is based in attachment theory, which describes the children’s natural need to seek adult’s support, security and trust. This theory explains how strong relationships and support, encourages children’s development and well-being. In this research study, the different relationships studied are: the ones between the educators and the refugee children; between educators and refugee children’s parents; between refugee children with the rest of the children in the preschool. This was accomplished through semi-structured interviews with four educators in different Swedish preschools, exploring their practices and experiences with newly arrived refugee children. Findings show educators’ perspectives considering the different aspects of pedagogy to address in order to promote the creation of more meaningful relationships in all three of these diads. These aspects of pedagogy that affect in the creation of more meaningful relationships are: introduction weeks, the preschool environment, the language barriers and addressing refugees’ past experiences. The study provides different methods and strategies shared by the educators that are applicable to preschools’ daily practices, as a means of facilitating refugee children’s childhood and development.

Attachment theory states that emotion regulation is one of the central features of attachment system. The current study adopted an attachment perspective to investigate how mother-child attachment at 36 months and teacher-child relationships at 54 months influence children’s emotion regulation in 3rd grade, and whether teacher-child relationships moderate the associations between mother-child attachment and children’s emotion regulation. Longitudinal data from the first three phases of the National Institute of Child Health and Human development Early Child Care Research Network of Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (NICHD SECCYD) were used in the study. The results showed that the association of teacher-child conflict and child’s negative engagement with peers was statistically significant. Additionally, teacher-child relationships significantly moderated the impacts of mother-child attachment on children’s emotion regulation. Specifically, the relationship between teacher-child conflict and negative engagement with peers for children with secure attachment and for those with disorganized attachment were in opposite directions. The relationship between teacher-child closeness and negative engagement with peers was significant for children with disorganized attachment, but not for children with secure attachment. And, the results showed that the levels of conflict in teacher-child relationships for children with ambivalent and with disorganized attachment were statistically different from those for children with secure attachment. The present study fills in the research gap with regard to the effects of teacher-child relationships on children’s emotion regulation. It also suggests that children’s experiences of positive teacher-child relationships may compensate for the negative impacts of insecure early mother-child attachment patterns on emotion regulation development.

Empirical research suggests that married women may more commonly experience spousal pornography use as a relational attachment threat and are more likely to experience negatively associated relational outcomes such as distress and loss of trust. The purpose of this study was to develop a grounded theory of women’s response to concealed spousal pornography use. This study included the experiences of 30 women who reported spousal pornography use as a threat to relational attachment and demonstrated evidence of individual and relational healing thereafter. The research question, “How do women describe the experience of learning of their spouse’s pornography use and the individual and relationship sequelae that follow?” was explored using grounded theory methods to analyze de-identified blog accounts emphasizing response to a spouse viewing pornography in marital relationships. The results describe a process model highlighting three interrelated informant categories— emotional response, mental response, and physical response—and one resultant category—behavioral response. Implications include the importance of open communication regarding pornography use within relationships, the necessity for individual and relational healing following betrayal trauma, and the role of therapeutic intervention in shaping adaptive healing processes.

The purpose of this study is to conduct a psychometric investigation of the Attachment to God Inventory (AGI; Beck & McDonald, 2004) using a national sample of socioeconomically and religiously diverse young adults commonly referred to as millennials (i.e., persons born between 1980 and 1996; Pew Research Center, 2018). Confirmatory factor analytic (CFA) results failed to yield satisfactory fit for the AGI model using the entire sample and a Christian-only subsample. Alternative model specifications that accounted for method factors, higher-order factors, and bi-factors also failed. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) suggested alternative factor solutions that were cross-validated using CFA. Support for an orthogonal, 2-factor, 8-item model possessed excellent model fit (χ²(20) = 172.186; RMSEA = .051 [.044–.058]; CFI/TLI = .955/.993). Configural, metric, and scale measurement invariance were supported based on gender- and ethnic-identity considerations; however, invariance was not supported based upon religious affiliation. The resulting model consisted of two constructs that were labeled divine rejection (McDonald’s ω = .838 [95% CI: .827–.849]) and divine dependence (McDonald’s ω = .862 [95% CI: .852–.872]) and were found to be invariant only for individuals who identified as Christian. Latent profile analysis (LPA) of the standardized scores of the two factors yielded a five-class solution whose classes were labeled intrinsic, independent, everyday, strained, and detached believers. Class membership was found to be most associated with divine rejection. Rather than considering the resulting model to be an improved model based on attachment to God theory, this study concludes that the resulting model is most consistent with social comparison theory. Several hypotheses and recommendations for future research are made.