Attachment and Development

In our time, the view that parent-child relationships play a central role in a child's psychological development has been widely accepted. This was not always the case. Attachment theory and the research it generated played an important role in producing the empirical evidence needed to support this view, and over the last 30 years, there has been a literal explosion f work in this area. Attachment and Development is one of the few comprehensive and critical overviews of theory and research in attachment across the lifespan. It provides a detailed examination of the factors that contribute to shaping early attachment and the effectsof attachment on development, including social competence, mental health, and physical health. Special emphasis is given to newly emerging research on the role of cognition and emotion in internal working models of attachment, as well as to the role of psychobiology. In order to achieve a balanced evaluation of this area as a whole, the book concludes with a critical appraisal of the contributions and limitations of attachment research and theory. An ideal resource for developmental psychology students, this text also serves as an up-to-date reference for professionals in related disciplines, such as nursing, social work, psychiatry, and education.