A Macho Is a Macho Since Childhood

You may spend as much as possible, have the coolest friends, wear the best clothes, and haunt the fanciest clubs, but that inner structure of you will determine if you are a Cassa Nova or a committed potential husband, an uninhibited conqueror or a shy romantic guy.

This inner structure is the result of your past relationships and personal attachment extending all the way back to childhood, according to a study.

A long term study - spanning on more than 25 years and which is still on course - attempts to shed light on how relationships are shaped by early experiences. 78 subjects were monitored at four pivotal moments in their lifetime: infancy, early childhood, adolescence, and adulthood.

At the first check, when the subjects were just 12-months old, caregivers spoke about the children's attachment and exploratory behavior. The second investigation was made when the subjects were 6-8 years old, and the teachers stated how well the children interacted with their mates. When they were16 years old, the subjects were asked to describe their close friendships.

The most recent investigation included the participants' romantic partners (in relationships longer than 4 months), asked to reveal their common experiences and their partner's expressions of emotion during their relationship; but the researchers also observed the couples' interactions, employed for evaluating the expression of emotion and their interpersonal dynamics.

The researchers found what previous theories had already predicted: attachment and emotional expressiveness in romantic relationships during adult life root in an individual's attachment and emotional experiences during early social development.

Those individuals expressing more security and attachment as babies ranked with higher social competence during childhood; these children were more secure and formed closer ties with their friends in adolescence. These individuals were more involved in their romantic relationship in early adulthood. "The current findings highlight one developmental pathway through which significant relationship experiences during the early years of life are tied to the daily experiences in romantic relationships during early adulthood," said W. Andrew Collins, lead author and University of Minnesota psychology professor.

"One encouraging finding, however, is that the study does not suggest that an individual's past unalterably determines the future course of his/her relationships."