Handbook of Attachment: Theory, Research, and Clinical Applications [Paperback]

Jude Cassidy PhD (Editor), Phillip R. Shaver PhD (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 31, 1999 | ISBN-10: 1572308265 | ISBN-13: 978-1572308268 | Edition: 1

This comprehensive handbook provides a landmark review and synthesis of the current state of knowledge about attachment and loss in children and adults. Broad in scope, the volume is designed to help clinicians, students, and researchers become fully informed about one of the most important areas of research in contemporary psychology. Preeminent authorities cover the origins and development of attachment theory, biological perspectives, measurement of attachment across the lifespan, clinical applications, and emerging topics and issues in the field .

Editorial Reviews

Review

"I am delighted to see the publication of the Handbook of Attachment. This volume fully represents the continuing development of attachment theory, the proliferation of relevant data collection procedures, and the expansion of applications of the theory. I am particularly gratified--and I know John Bowlby would be as well--by the ways in which the work is being applied in clinical settings. This Handbook is certain to be a rich source of information and ideas for years to come, providing experts with solid reviews of topical areas, and helping newcomers understand what has been accomplished and what remains to be done. Attachment researchers have a great deal to be proud of --and many exciting directions to pursue." --Mary D. Ainsworth, PhD, Professor Emerita, University of Virginia

"Destined to become a classic, this comprehensive volume covers the theoretical, empirical, and clinical aspects of attachment. Superb chapters span the developmental period from infancy through adulthood and address psychological and biological perspectives. The distinguished group of contributors is a veritable 'Who's Who' in the field. This definitive work is essential for anyone interested in developmental psychology and developmental psychopathology. It is an invaluable resource for scholars interested in theory and research on attachment, therapists who work with children and adults, and students of psychology, psychiatry, pediatrics, social work, and related fields." --Dante Cicchetti, PhD, Director, Mt. Hope Family Center, University of Rochester

"John Bowlby must be smiling! Cassidy and Shaver have assembled an inspiring tour de force that provides compelling evidence of the extraordinary intellectual power and breadth of attachment theory. Spanning development, biology, psychopathology, and adult social behavior, this exceptional volume brings together leading contributors to the past decade's explosion of attachment research. Not only does it elegantly summarize the current state of the art, it is also destined to define the agenda for the next generation of research. Your copy is sure to become dog-eared. Anyone studying or working in social and emotional behavior and development should reserve a prominent space on the shelf for this impressive volume." --Harry Reis, PhD, Professor, Department of Clinical and Social Sciences in Psychology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY

About the Author

Jude Cassidy, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park

Phillip R. Shaver, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 925 pages
• Publisher: The Guilford Press; 1 edition (July 31, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1572308265
• ISBN-13: 978-1572308268
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 6.9 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #439,408 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great product but................, March 15, 2006

By 

T. Cunningham - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Handbook of Attachment: Theory, Research, and Clinical Applications (Paperback)

This is a great book. However, it is too clinical and hard to read. Very dry reading. I was looking for some practical tips to use at work. The heading "Handbook" is misleading. To me a handbook is a reference tool that I can go to and get information I can use quickly, practically and the client can understand. I think I wasted my money in this sense. But, it was my choice. Thanks.

5.0 out of 5 stars Hugely Informative for Specialists in Borderline PD, July 30, 2010

By 

Rodger Garrett "SighKoBlahGrr" (Loma Linda, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Handbook of Attachment: Theory, Research, and Clinical Applications (Paperback)

One can obtain a reasonably adequate grasp of Bowlby's attachment theory per se from authors like Mary Main, Phil Shaver, Alan Sroufe, Peter Fonagy, Inge Bretherton, Jude Cassidy, Mary Ainsworth, and the Man Himself on the Internet.

But if one is deeply intrigued or invested in the subject for the sake of gaining a better grip on concepts like "family systems," "interpersonal psychology," "ego defense formation," "affect regulation," "belief systems conflicts" or the currently popular rubrics of "codependence" and "romance addiction," a used copy of this first edition seems well worth $20 or $30.

The range of topics and applications is immense, and the commentators are in fact the who's who of the AT "school." There's a lot of dry, British intellectualism, expecially in the first half or so of this =long= and often repetitious read, but the final eight or ten articles are better understood if one is willing to fight his way through the earlier stuff, and those final articles are major paydirt for a deeper understanding of borderline personality disorder.

Magai's treatment of Silvan Tomkins' work on affect theory was especially instructive for me, as were the parts of Mary Main's article on neuropsychology in relation to AT. Several contributors' illuminated the "preoccupied," "disorganized" and "desperate" types of attachment in such fashion that my focus on borderlinism is now considerably sharper.

If one assumes himself to be a specialist in such, the Handbook may be a =very= rewarding journey into the why's and wherefore's, more or less as Meissner's, Kernberg's work is through the lens of object relations: A real hard slog, but tremendously edifying in the end.

3 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Handbook of Attachment, April 4, 2006

By 

Melissa A - See all my reviews

This review is from: Handbook of Attachment: Theory, Research, and Clinical Applications (Paperback)

When I ordered this book I thought there was a later version available. Online there are two versions available - this one (1999) and a later one - 2002 or 2003 or even later - I can't remember. It was confusing if the later one was available or if there is even a later one. When I submitted this question to Amazon they basically said that there was no way of determining which book would be sent to me. So it was disappointing when I received the earlier version. I wasn't about to take the time to send it back because I needed to start using it.