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Theoretical issues and research emphasis within the field of attachment theory have shifted from attachment behavior "to the level of representation" (Bretherton, 1985) since the middle of the 80ies. The paper presents an overview on basic assumptions, research methodology and empirical findings in the field of attachment research. Four issues are addressed, which are relevant for psychosomatic research. These concern: (1) The prevalence of insecure attachment representation in psychosomatic disorders; (2) the association between insecure attachment representation and an increased psychophysiological reactivity; (3) the potential link between attachment and affect regulation and (4) the question, whether the classification of attachment representations may increase our understanding of specific aspects of illness behavior in psychosomatic conditions such as somatoform disorders.