Grad Level PSYC Course Option for Undergrad PSYC Majors

Now open for undergraduate Psych Majors

Psychology 819D
Graduate Seminar in Personality and Development
Attachment Across the Lifespan:
Theory, Research, and Clinical Implications
Fall 2026 

Thursday 12:30-3:00 BPS Room 1232
Instructor: Dr. Jude Cassidy

Can fulfill a PSYC Theme 3 and/or PSYC 400 Level Non-Lab

Prerequisite/Requirement: PSYC 355 and a minimum 3.5 cumulative GPA

Why do certain relationships make us feel safe, understood, and grounded? How do people build close
bonds, maintain them over time, and turn to them in periods of stress? This course introduces students to
the science of attachment — one of psychology’s most important ways of understanding emotionally
significant relationships across the lifespan. We’ll examine attachment from infancy through adulthood,
focusing on how close bonds are formed, how they are maintained, why they are so emotionally powerful,
and how they can help people cope with challenge and stress. The course brings together ideas from
developmental, social, clinical, and biological psychology in an approachable way. We’ll explore
attachment in families, friendships, and romantic relationships; look at different ways psychologists study
attachment; and consider what attachment research can teach us about emotional well-being, mental health, and therapeutic intervention. We’ll also examine attachment from an evolutionary perspective, including what humans share with other species. This course is ideal for students who are curious about relationships, emotional development, mental health, and the deeper science of human connection.

 
If you are interested in taking this course, please contact Dr. Jude Cassidy by email (jcassidy@umd.edu)