A Compelling Idea
How We Become the Persons We Are
by Alan Sroufe

Called the premier developmental psychologist of his generation by the American Psychological Association, Alan Sroufe was at the forefront of one of the longest and most meticulously conducted longitudinal studies in the history of psychology, the Minnesota Study of Risk and Adaptation from Birth to Adulthood.  Over 250 children and their parents, many from impoverished backgrounds, were involved at the beginning of the study, and an astounding 170 of these were still being studied 40 years later.

“WOW, WOW, WOW. A COMPELLING IDEA INDEED. . . . Alan Sroufe has made sense of development in the most coherent and powerful ways. The weaving of his own experiences throughout makes it jump off the page. Amazing!” — MARY DOZIER, Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware

What did this work reveal? One of the key findings is that one’s ability to cope with all of life’s challenges in adolescence and adulthood is strongly influenced by the quality of one’s attachment relationships in infancy and early childhood.

The Crucial Role of Attachment in Early Childhood

In the course of this longitudinal study, Sroufe and his colleagues observed how sensitive, reliable, and responsive attachment relationships in infancy and early childhood built children’s resilience while inconsistent and neglectful caregiving resulted in children learning maladaptive ways to deal with life’s challenges and form positive relationships in adolescence and adulthood.

Clinician’s Role in the Healing Process

In A Compelling Idea, Sroufe helps clinicians notice the signs of attachment problems in their clients and provides insight into how therapists can provide the treatment clients need.

“…what you do as a clinician is to create a relationship with [clients] that will disconfirm their previous models of how relationships work by providing a model of a relationship that is nurturing and supportive. Therapy relationships become akin to attachment relationships. The therapist can provide the secure base for exploration of these hidden issues and lasting problems.” – Alan Sroufe

Sroufe draws from attachment theorists John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth to show how therapists can work with clients to process past attachment-related traumas to develop a more secure attachment style and build healthier and more secure relationships.

A Unique 40-Year Study…

The facts about the Minnesota study are remarkable. The study:

• was detailed and comprehensive, covering all aspects of a child’s development, including cognitive development, language development, school performance, social behavior, and peer relationships.
•  observed parents’ behavior with the children, along with parents’ attitudes, expectations, and personal characteristics, including personality, education level, and intelligence.
• was launched in 1968 by Sroufe and his research team at the University of Minnesota Institute of Child Development and was administered for 40 years by generation after generation of Institute researchers and graduate students.

…Combined with the Author’s Personal Insights

Throughout the course of his 50-year academic career, Alan Sroufe published 150 scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals and 7 books on attachment relationships, emotional development, and developmental psychopathology. However, upon retirement, he chose to write this unique retrospective on the evolution of the field of developmental psychology and the findings of the Minnesota study interwoven with personal, intimate stories from his own life. In A Compelling Idea, Sroufe grapples with what his research revealed and what he learned about how his own dysfunctional family affected his adult life.

“…others could certainly tell this tale. It is the case that fortune and circumstance put me in an opportune place to observe how the discoveries came together." — Alan Sroufe, Prologue

A Compelling Idea is his personal story of this road to discovery and an invaluable publication for mental health professionals, school counselors, parents, caregivers, and anyone with any curiosity about who they are and how they became who they are. (1)

“This book is brilliant! Alan Sroufe is one of the most thoughtful and inspiring social scientists in the world. This compelling memoir should be read by everyone.” —JOHANN HARI, “Best-selling author of Lost Connections and Chasing the Scream