Insecure attachment is related to infidelity. The following quotes, which highlight some unusual facts about American life, may help explain why insecure attachment, and the problems it brings, may be here to stay.
“Despite being the richest nation on earth, the United States is, according to the World Health Organization, by a wide margin, also the most anxious, with nearly a third of Americans likely to suffer from an anxiety problem in their lifetime.” Quote from an article in the New York Times.
“American parents, for example, were the only ones in a survey of 100 societies who created a separate room for their baby to sleep (Burton & Whiting, 1961; also see Lewis, 1995), reflecting that from the time they are born, Americans are raised in an environment that emphasizes their independence (on unusual nature of American childrearing, see Lancy, 2009; Rogoff, 2003).” Quote from Henrich, Heine & Norenzayan (2010).
Only in America do we create separate rooms for babies to sleep – creating distance between an infant and its caregiver – and then wonder why with all of our resources Americans still experience so much anxiety. Attachment bonds, which are first formed in infancy, carry on throughout our lifespan. It is any wonder why people in the US experience so many problems, including high rates of divorce and infidelity, given how we nurture our children?
