Although the link between sex and attachment was made decades ago (Hazan & Shaver,),
theories on sexual and attachment functioning have been developed in relative isolation …

In this chapter, I focus mainly on the role of sex as a promoter of emotional bonds between
partners, and I discuss the role of attachment processes in the association between sexuality …

Highlights•The sexual system operates as an attachment-facilitating device.•Attachment
processes link sexuality with relationship quality.•Sexual desire functions as a visceral …

Highlights•Sex differences in attachment styles have been described in children and
adults.•They emerge by middle childhood, and show systematic cross-cultural …

We argue that sexual behavior, governed in part by a behavioral system distinct from the
attachment system described originally by Bowlby (1969/1982), provides an important set of …

Hazan, & Bradshaw, 1988). Sexual urges and emotional attachments, however, are not
necessarily interrelated. A person can feel emotionally attached to someone without being …

In our recent research we have considered the sexual behavioral system, particularly its
goals and motives, within the framework of attachment theory. We have examined how the …

Past research has shown that attachment orientations shape sexual processes within
relationships. Yet, little has been done to explore the opposite direction. In the present …

Attachment and sexual mating are distinct behavioral systems that serve different
evolutionary functions. Although their behavioral manifestations may occur in isolation …

In recent decades, researchers studying human sexuality have paid increasing attention to
its relational context. Attachment theory, which addresses the processes by which bonds of …