The Family Systems Perspective in Contemporary Attachment Research

Contemporary attachment research increasingly acknowledges relationships beyond the dyad and integrates a family systems perspective to account for the complexity of attachment networks. However, while previous literature (e.g. Cowan et al., 1996) has emphasized the necessity of broadening the focus on triads and the whole family, a comprehensive overview of how to methodologically realize this integration is still missing. Consequently, this paper addresses this gap by examining the conceptual and methodological integration of family systems theory into attachment research. In doing so, we first summarize how attachment theory has increasingly broadened its focus from the mother-child dyad to the mother-father-child-triad and the family system. Yet, from a family systems framework it is not sufficient to merely include more family members. Instead the interdependent nature and dynamics within the entire family system need to be addressed. We outline the common theoretical ground of family systems and attachment theory, before synthesizing contemporary methods for capturing systemic dynamics in empirical attachment research. Specifically, we address advancements in triadic observations, assessment of biobehavioral synchrony, e.g., interpersonal neural synchrony (INS; Nguyen et al., 2024; Vrticka & Ein-Dor, 2026), and advanced statistical modeling, for example Actor-Partner Interdependence Models (APIMs; Kenny et al., 2006) and Dyadic Response Surface Analysis (DRSA; Schönbrodt et al., 2018). We highlight current opportunities to better address complexity in attachment research and discuss the limitations and remaining challenges associated with these approaches.