Handbook of Attachment: Theory, Research, and Clinical Applications

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

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 .

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction, Relationships, Parenting, Personal Development, Reference

925 pages, Paperback

First published April 9, 1999

Reviews

[Lindsay Kinney · Rating 4 out of 5]

All of the information about attachment theory is located in this one volume. I read a big chunk of the text, and accessed much of the rest throughout a course that I took on the same topic. Science heavy, with reference lists at the close of each chapter—this is a fabulous resource.

[Alisha Brook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: Handbook of Attachment - Theory, Research and Clinical Applications
Series: -
Author: Jude Cassidy
Genre: Informational / Psychology/ Development
Rating: 4 stars

Fairly useful for the assignment I needed it for. This resource offers quite in depth knowledge about attachment theories. If you're studying psychology or even stages of development, this is a useful resource to further your knowledge about the topic.

[Tendency · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic resource, well-written, excellent sources for further research.

[Barbra Quade]

Excellent resource book.

[Louise Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An incredible compendium of research on attachment.

[Lee-Anne Looker · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Foundational Research Library in Itself

Handbook of Attachment (Edited by Jude Cassidy & Phillip R. Shaver) is one of the most comprehensive and intellectually ambitious works ever produced within attachment science. Spanning developmental psychology, neuroscience, endocrinology, immunology, education, psychotherapy, couple dynamics, and social functioning, the book demonstrates just how profoundly human relationships shape emotional, cognitive, and even physiological development across the lifespan.

What makes this handbook particularly valuable is the sheer breadth of perspectives it brings together. Rather than presenting attachment as a narrow theory confined to infancy, the contributors repeatedly show how attachment processes interact dynamically with stress regulation, caregiving, learning, mental health, relationships, compassion, resilience, and long-term developmental trajectories. Some of the strongest chapters explore psychobiology, co-regulation, developmental adaptation, prosociality, teacher-child relationships, and the growing evidence linking relational security with physical and emotional wellbeing.

The handbook also deserves praise for its intellectual honesty. Several contributors resist simplistic or deterministic interpretations of attachment theory and instead emphasise complexity, developmental plasticity, and the interaction between biology, environment, temperament, relationships, and culture. This nuance is one of the book’s greatest strengths.

That said, the handbook can also be extraordinarily demanding to read. While academically indispensable, it is often not cognitively humane for ordinary readers. Dense statistical sections, heavy in-text referencing, technical terminology, and repeated citation interruptions can make some chapters exhausting to follow, even for highly motivated readers with a strong interest in psychology. At times, the reader feels they are navigating an academic obstacle course rather than being guided through ideas intended to improve understanding of human development.

Certain chapters are deeply moving and conceptually illuminating; others feel repetitive or overly focused on methodological detail at the expense of accessibility. However, even where the reading becomes difficult, the overall contribution of the handbook remains substantial.

Ultimately, Handbook of Attachment is less a casual psychology book and more a foundational research library in itself. For researchers, clinicians, educators, therapists, and anyone seriously interested in the science of human connection, it is an extraordinarily rich resource. For general readers, patience and selective reading may be essential — but the insights gained can be genuinely transformative.

A landmark work in attachment science that rewards deep engagement, even if it occasionally overwhelms the reader in the process.

[Jreader · Rating 5 out of 5]

No, I did not read all of the almost 1,000 page book. I got it in 2017. I had gone to a seminar on Attachment with Solomon, Main, Siegel and others--I think in 2016. I picked this back up during the weekend as supplemental reading for a specific client case.

Oxford Press has done a nice job with this. It's an excellent reference.

[Keith]

I became interested in this book because Russell T Osguthorpe speaks highly of attachment theory.

[celia · Rating 4 out of 5]

read this for an exam. it was actually decent and very interesting except for some chapters that were too focused on research's results and forgot to draw coherent conclusions. also, pretty old.

[Mills College Library]

155.92 H2362 2016