The three empirical studies presented shed light on both stability and change in attachment styles. Two of the studies show significant stability (Waters, Merrick, Treboux, Crowell & Albersheim, 2000; Hamilton, 2000) and also show that changes in attachment are related to significant major life events. The third study (Weinfield, Sroufe & Egeland, 2000) shows little stability but this is explained by the high levels of negative life events experienced by this sample drawn from at-risk family situations.

Overall, these papers present a coherent picture of attachment as a stable, yet dynamic process that is amenable to change as a result of major life experiences.

Beyond this summary, the authors present a number of theories that may relate to the processes at work whilst noting that no specific theory is implicated by the results found thus far.

This is one of five articles on longitudinal attachment stability to early adulthood published together in the June 2000 issue of Child Development. For an overview of all five articles, refer to the general introduction (2000).