Attachment Theory

Attachment theory is an evolutionary based theory that suggests that infants are biologically predisposed to form attachments with primary caregivers in early life as a means to increase their likelihood of survival. This theory proposes that caregivers are used as a secure base by infants and this sense of security allows the child to explore and increase their knowledge about their environment. Evidence for this theory includes species-specific learning biases like the tendency for infants to identify and prefer their primary caregiver's face.