Which of the following is a common criticism of attachment theory?

• A. It overemphasizes the role of early caregiver relationships and may neglect the influence of culture and later life experiences.
• B. It ignores the importance of biological factors in human development.
• C. It suggests that attachment styles cannot change throughout the lifespan.
• D. It provides a comprehensive explanation for all aspects of personality development.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the core premise of attachment theory, which emphasizes the importance of early relationships between infants and their primary caregivers in shaping future social and emotional development.
2. Step 2: Recognize that a common criticism of attachment theory is that it may place too much emphasis on these early caregiver relationships, potentially overlooking other important factors.
3. Step 3: Consider alternative influences on development, such as cultural context and experiences later in life, which attachment theory might not fully account for.
4. Step 4: Evaluate the provided answer choices by comparing them to known critiques of attachment theory, focusing on whether they address the theory's scope and limitations.
5. Step 5: Identify that the criticism highlighting the overemphasis on early caregiver relationships and neglect of culture and later experiences aligns best with common scholarly critiques of attachment theory.