Attachment: A Reconsideration of its Heterogeneity and Construct Validity

Abstract

The concept of attachment is discussed with respect to the search for explanations of social-developmental phenomena. A distinction between explanation and description is predicated as useful when applied to assessing the ecological validity and predictive utility of research on attachment. It is concluded that, while the concept has had heuristic value, it is naturally constrained in the contributions it can make as an explanation of social development.