Definition
In the attachment literature, hyperactivation refers to increased activation of the attachment system.
Introduction
According to Bowlby (1969/1982), the attachment behavioral system is aimed at gaining protection via the intervention of a specific adult figure. In infancy, the child has innate attachment behaviors (also called “primary strategies”: Main 1990) such as crying, clinging, or smiling. These behaviors are believed to have been naturally selected as efficient care-eliciting behaviors.
In Bowlby’s theory, the attachment system is triggered by the fear system, which enables the child to identify sources of danger. Fear can be caused by “natural clues to danger” such as being alone, in the dark, unexpected noises, looming objects, heights, as well as by stimuli considered frightening in a specific culture. Ideally, infants’ signaling of distress leads to a reassuring...
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Miljkovitch, R. (2020). Hyperactivation. In: Zeigler-Hill, V., Shackelford, T.K. (eds) Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-24612-3_763
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