Conclusion
It is strengths like these that make ethological attachment theory a great theory. The ethological approach to attachment offers a variety of strong arguments. Research has shown that the concepts of a secure base and internal working models exist and play an important role in the development of relationships in infancy, childhood, and adulthood. And although critics may argue that it has been difficult to duplicate the empirical findings of Ainsworth et al. (1978) in a large number of studies, their findings certainly justify an ethological attachment hypothesis. Certainly, at that time, no other study had successfully classified and measured attachment security in such a comprehensive manner. Although the Strange Situation has been criticized for not reflecting cultural variation in cross-cultural studies, it has provided researchers with an excellent tool to measure attachment security in infants. The concept of attachment style has also formed an excellent basis to support the stability of attachment in older children. In addition, attachment proponents are working hard to find measures that can be used across cultures and cohorts, and the development of the Q-set is a significant improvement. Also, ethological attachment theory is generating a tremendous amount of research into child development and related areas, which is extremely valuable for the science of psychology. Finally, although critics of attachment theory have challenged its findings over the last 30 years, no other discipline has presented empirical evidence that supports a more comprehensive overview of the phenomenon of attachment and its implications. Compared to behaviorist and biological perspectives, ethological theory provides the most accurate and effective explanation of the development of attachment. Although time will tell if attachment theorists are right, their findings provide an excellent framework to motivate parents and other caregivers to provide highly sensitive and responsive care to children throughout the world, if only for the benefit of humankind.