Anxious-preoccupied attachment

Anxious-preoccupied attachment is a form of attachment with a strong wish for intimacy, a fear of being ignored, and the constant need for reassurance.[1] Those with anxious-preoccupied attachment tend to be sensitive to emotional cues and external pain.[2]

Causes

Psychologists believe that such attachment is caused by the increased activation of a person's amygdala during social appraisal tasks,[2] making him or her more likely to project his or her "actual self" onto others.[2]

Research

Research found that younger adults had higher levels of anxious-preoccupied attachment than older adults.[3]

References

  1. ↑ What Is the Anxious Preoccupied Attachment Style and What Causes It?. The Attachment Project (March 20, 2025). Retrieved March 29, 2025.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2
  3. ↑ Segal, Daniel L.. Age Differences in Attachment Orientations among Younger and Older Adults: Evidence from Two Self-Report Measures of Attachment (in en). The International Journal of Aging and Human Development 69 (2) (2009-09-01). p. 119–132. doi:10.2190/AG.69.2.c.