Attachment in adulthood: A systematic review of Latin American research during the last 10 years

Introduction/Objective: Research on adult attachment has predominantly been conducted in Anglo-Saxon and European countries, with no comprehensive compilation of contributions from Latin America to date. The objective of the present study was to perform a systematic review of empirical research on adult attachment in Latin America over the past decade. Method: Using the PRISMA methodology, a search was conducted in the Web of Science, Scopus, PsycINFO, and Scielo databases between April and August 2023. Empirical research published in the last 10 years in Spanish, English, and Portuguese, focusing on the study of adult attachment, were included. Some of the exclusion criteria were empirical research with samples of children and adolescents, as well as studies using Latino samples recruited outside of Latin American countries. The risk of bias in the included studies was assessed using The Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Results: After the screening and review process, 62 articles were examined. Most of the studies employed quantitative methodologies and were rooted in the tradition of social and personality psychology rather than developmental psychology. The topics addressed are grouped into individual and relational functioning variables, with results consistent with those identified in studies conducted in other regions. Conclusions: The implications of these findings are discussed, and future research directions are proposed. One limitation is the possible omission of relevant unpublished studies or available in other data bases.