Development of Interaction and Attachment : Traditional and Non-Traditional Approaches

Mother-child interaction and attachment have high priority on the agenda of Dutch policy makers and scientific fund raisers.

The Dutch Ministry of Education has acknowledged the importance of fundamental research of caregiver-child interaction and has invested in a nation-wide Dutch research project called "Experimental longitudinal research on caregiver-child relationships" (ELO).

The basic goal was to experimentally test the core hypothesis of classic attachment theory: the sensitivity-attachment hypothesis, stating that mother's sensitive responsiveness determines attachment security.

This volume consists of the written versions of presentations by invited experts, as well as of a series of short reports based on the posters displayed and discussed during the colloquium.

The work should contribute to the progressive development of theory, methodology, and research of early mother-child interaction and attachment.