The Adult Attachment Projective Picture System: Attachment Theory and Assessment in Adults

This book presents cutting-edge research on adult attachment together with a complete overview of the Adult Attachment Projective Picture System (AAP), the authors' validated developmental assessment. In addition to identifying attachment classification groups, the AAP yields important information about dimensions--including defensive processes--not evaluated by other available measures. Detailed case illustrations show what the AAP looks like "in action" and what it reveals about individuals' early experiences, sense of self, and capacity to engage in close, protective relationships. The AAP can be used in clinical or research settings; the concluding chapter discusses promising applications to studying the neurobiology of attachment.

About the Author

Carol George, PhD, is Professor of Psychology at Mills College in Oakland, California. She has been at the forefront of developing attachment assessments for children and adults, including the Attachment Doll Play Projective Assessment, the Caregiving Interview, the Adult Attachment Interview, and the AAP. Dr. George has authored numerous research articles and book chapters on adult and child attachment and caregiving, and is coeditor, with Judith Solomon, of the book Disorganized Attachment and Caregiving. She teaches courses in development and attachment, co-directs a master’s-degree program in infant mental health, and trains and consults on the application of attachment assessment in research and clinical settings. Malcolm L. West, PhD, until his death in 2020, was retired Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada. Dr. West worked as a clinician and researcher throughout his career. His research used attachment theory in clinical research, including studies of cardiac rehabilitation patients, depression in women, and suicidal behavior in adolescents. In addition to the Adult Attachment Projective Picture System, Dr. West developed self-report assessments of attachment in adults and adolescents. Carol George, PhD, is Professor of Psychology at Mills College in Oakland, California. She has been at the forefront of developing attachment assessments for children and adults, including the Attachment Doll Play Projective Assessment, the Caregiving Interview, the Adult Attachment Interview, and the AAP. Dr. George has authored numerous research articles and book chapters on adult and child attachment and caregiving, and is coeditor, with Judith Solomon, of the book Disorganized Attachment and Caregiving. She teaches courses in development and attachment, co-directs a master’s-degree program in infant mental health, and trains and consults on the application of attachment assessment in research and clinical settings. Malcolm L. West, PhD, until his death in 2020, was retired Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada. Dr. West worked as a clinician and researcher throughout his career. His research used attachment theory in clinical research, including studies of cardiac rehabilitation patients, depression in women, and suicidal behavior in adolescents. In addition to the Adult Attachment Projective Picture System, Dr. West developed self-report assessments of attachment in adults and adolescents.