Warmth as a Developmental Construct: An Evolutionary Analysis

This paper provides an evolutionary account of the human affectional system as indexed by the construct of warmth. It is argued that although warmth and security of attachment are often closely intertwined in actual relationships, warmth must be distinguished from security of attachment. Warmth is conceptualized as a reward system which evolved to facilitate cohesive family relationships and paternal investment in children. Individual differences in this system underlie the dimension of warmth in parent-child research as well as a similar dimension revealed in factor-analytic studies of personality traits. Warmth plays an important motivational role in children by facilitating compliance and the acceptance of adult values, and is viewed as one of several discrete evolved systems underlying personality development. Although securely attached children typically have affectionate relationships with caregivers in many societies, it is hypothesized that warmth is complexly related to attachment classification. Consistent with a discrete systems perspective, research is reviewed indicating that relationships based on warmth and affection are often highly compartmentalized and can coexist with relationships based on exploitation and aggression.