Developmentally Appropriate and Excessive Clinginess

Abstract

Clinginess represents a form of interpersonal affect regulation. As new affect systems, anxiety and fear influence the formation of relationships during the first years of life and the infant needs to develop strategies to cope with these situations. Until its capacity to self-soothe has developed sufficiently, the infant relies on the parents to modulate and soothe its anxiety affects. Supporting an infant in the transition from dyadic regulation to self-soothing takes place in processes of interactional attunement between the parents and the infant. In the case of a “good fit” between parents and infant in this regard, clinginess is a transient phenomenon seen in the first 3 years of life. Excessive and persistent clinginess puts a strain on the parent–infant relationship and hampers the infant in its development of autonomy. In addition to fostering an understanding of “normal” clinginess, the conditions under which excessive clinginess is triggered and develops will be discussed. An overview of various therapeutic approaches is given at the end of the chapter.