Attachment and Development : Texts in Developmental Psychology

Attachment theory is the current dominant theory of parent-child relationships and their influence on development. The theory has generated an ever-expanding body of empirical work, and is one of the few contemporary comprehensive psychological theories. However, it is also controversial, with researchers generally falling into one or other of two camps. This text provides a general overview of attachment work, and examines the impact of attachment theory on the field of developmental psychology. It provides a critical evaluation of past and current work on attachment theory.