[Attachment, a theory to rediscover and complete].

Abstract

Thirty five years after the publication of Bowlby's founding articles (1957 and 1958), what relevance might the theory of attachment still have for the conceptual and methodological apparatus used by the psychologists who study emotional development of the young? That question is addressed throughout this article through a historic-critical review and leads to formulating two tentative responses. In the first part are shortly presented the contributions which have brought precisions, supported and prolonged the leader's propositions. In the second part we attempt to partially reconceptualize the process and behavior of attachment, following the recent suggestions of Bowlby and Ainsworth. Two cases of parent-infant interactions serve as empirical illustrations for this new perspective.