ABSTRACT
In approaching the concept of attachment, it is useful to consider it as a key way of understanding relationships; their function, strengths, problems and joys and how these evolve across the lifespan and within different cultures. The notion of critical periods, optimal for the creation of attachment bonds and after which their construction is impaired, derived from such studies and was further supported by research on so-called feral children. This type of approach raises obvious questions, such as the extent to which results from animal studies can be generalised to humans and the ethically problematic nature of some of the research. These are important points of access into beginning to critically consider this work. In deepening one's understanding of attachment an extensive body of literature may be considered. Attachment was a controversial concept when it emerged, challenging then existing orthodoxies.
