Bindung

Bindung is a German term that broadly means attachment, binding, or linkage. In academic use it appears across disciplines such as psychology, chemistry, and biology to describe both interpersonal ties and the forces that hold physical structures together.

In psychology, Bindung most often refers to attachment theory, developed by John Bowlby and expanded by Mary Ainsworth. The theory describes emotional bonds formed between infants and caregivers and how these early relations influence emotional regulation, exploration, and later relationships. Key attachment patterns include secure, anxious/ambivalent, avoidant, and disorganized. Internal working models formed in early life guide expectations and behavior in subsequent social interactions. Cross-cultural research supports core ideas while highlighting variation in expression and developmental timing. Some critics point to measurement challenges and the complexity of translating laboratory findings to everyday life.

Bonding between parents and children, and later between intimate partners, is related but may be distinguished from early attachment. Bonding emphasizes affective commitment and responsive responsiveness, and it is frequently discussed in medical, developmental, and clinical contexts as a factor supporting healthy psychosocial development.

In chemistry and physics, Bindung refers to the forces that hold atoms and molecules together. Primary bonds include covalent, ionic, and metallic bonds, while secondary interactions include hydrogen bonds and van der Waals forces. Bond energy and bond length quantify strength and stability, and chemical reactions involve breaking and forming bonds. In biology and pharmacology, binding describes the interaction of molecules with specific targets, such as receptor-ligand binding. Affinity and specificity determine the strength and selectivity of binding, often described by dissociation constants and binding curves, which underpin drug action and cellular signaling.