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Attachment theory underestimates the child

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 February 2009

Judith Rich Harris
Judith Rich Harris
Affiliation:
54 Crawford Road, Middletown, NJ 07748. judyharris@att.nethttp://xchar.home.att.net/tna/
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Abstract

The problem with elaborations of attachment theory is attachment theory itself. How would a mind that works the way the theory posits have increased its owner's fitness in hunter-gatherer times? The child's mind is more capacious and discerning than attachment theorists give it credit for. Early-appearing, long-lasting personality characteristics, often mistaken for the lingering effects of early experiences, are more likely due to genetic influences on personality.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 32 , Issue 1 , February 2009 , pp. 30
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2009

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