This explanation seems to make sense, but it has a great weakness in that it cannot explain why children exhibit attachment behaviors even though their caregivers may seriously mistreat them. This phenomenon has been supported by animal studies, which showed that babies who were treated violently by their mothers continued to seek physical contact (Seay, Alexander, & Harlow, 1964). It is a well-known fact that children who are regularly abused often continue to make similar attempts to approach their abusive parents.