Introducing Wound Theory: A Trauma-Informed Lens on Political Identity
What if our political beliefs weren’t just shaped by logic or party affiliation—but by unresolved emotional patterns from early life?
Wound Theory is a developing psychological framework that explores how childhood emotional experiences—especially attachment and regulation patterns—can shape how we form worldviews, political identities, and even our relationship to group belonging.
It draws from:
Attachment theory
Affective neuroscience
Political psychology
Developmental trauma research
The core idea? For some, political identity becomes fused with personal identity not just out of belief, but as a way to regulate emotional discomfort—especially for those with unresolved attachment wounds.
The full framework has been submitted to a peer-reviewed psychology journal and is currently under consideration. In the meantime, I’m continuing to gather data, refine the model, and invite dialogue from across disciplines.
If you’re interested in:
Attachment and emotion regulation
Why politics feels so personal (and polarizing)
How emotional development shapes ideological behavior
…I’d love to connect or collaborate.
—Eric Conklin