ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the interplay between the caregiving and attachment system. It describes a behavioural systems approach to the case study of Judy and Sam Munro. The chapter outlines some implications for therapists and practitioners in thinking about couple dynamics from a behavioural systems perspective, with a particular emphasis on attachment and caregiving. Individuals high on attachment anxiety are characterized by an intense need for love and approval and a preoccupation with relationship partners. Individuals low on both attachment anxiety and avoidance are said to be securely attached and are characterised by a trust of relationship partners, are comfortable with emotional closeness, and balance needs for closeness with autonomy. The behavioural strategies that are associated with the caregiving system are thought to underpin individual differences in people's caregiving behaviour. Importantly, individual differences in caregiving are shaped by the mental models that people develop about how caregiving is conducted.
