Developmental Continuity and Changes: Its Aporia from the Perspective of Longitudinal Studies on Human Attachment

Abstract

For human lifespan development research to be truly developmental, it is essential that the flow of time in which people live in a prospective manner is examined. Thus, longitudinal research should be enriched in developmental psychology. However, merely collecting longitudinal data does not reveal developmental continuity and changes from infancy to old age. Consequently, an in-depth examination of theories of developmental continuity and changes and use of appropriate methods based on these theories are imperative. In this paper, several long-term longitudinal studies on the lifespan development of human attachment are reviewed. Endeavors have been made to examine the continuity and changes of personal characteristics of attachment throughout life by employing the conceptual device of Internal Working Model. The difficulties of examining developmental continuity and changes, its aporia, and the possibilities and challenges of future longitudinal research are discussed.