Cobra you have to take a bit deeper look into Kagens work to see what his criticism of attachment theory is based on. Kagens research has been in what he calls “temperament” that is the reactivity of an infant. He is of the opinion that we are born with different levels of sensitivity and activity of the amygdala. A difficulty in testing theories of attachment is the actual measurement of attachment. Kagen is saying that in many experiments what is being viewed is an infants level of reactivity based on temperament and not it’s level or quality of attachment.
He does not deny the existence of attachments but he is critical of the experiments and conclusions of much of the research into attachment. The author himself would be able to explain his ideas and criticism a lot better than I could ever dream of.
What interests me is his idea of people possessing a range of reactivity in the amygdala and the possible consequences of this reactivity. Of particular interest is the research Done into the amygdala and female sexual response.
What the study reports is that the amygdala needs to calms down and eventually shuts down during a woman’s sexual response. If this is true and your partner has highly reactive amygdala she is going to have a more difficult time getting, maintaining and feeling sexually arousal than someone who has a less reactive amygdala.
Women need to feel safe could be inferred from this study, the question then may be what makes a woman feel safe and able to be less anxious?
“I am now seeing in her words that she DOES want me to control things, maybe not her per se, but the uncertainty that frightens her.”
