Attachment is one example of how biological and environmental processes are codependent on each other.  First, we has humans are biologically predisposed to become attached to significant others. Second, culture defines the appropriate way to engage in this activity.  Interestingly, during ontogeny, cultural processes may become embodied in our biological structures; these epigenetic processes have been termed biological embedding.  In other words, early experience may guide brain development.  For examples neuroscience has demonstrated that experience plays a much larger role in cognitive development than has previously been thought.  In fact, it has the potential to demonstrate the importance of experience-induced brain plasticity; one major finding is that genes are not static and experience plays a major role in gene expression.  For example, maternal behavior can act as a mechanism that alters gene expression.

An interesting question is, How has research demonstrated the importance of love?  Continue reading →