Critically reviews the concept of "bonding," exploring its empirical basis and the implications that follow from its application in practice. Among the conclusions reached are that there is a tendency to oversimplify attachment phenomena and that the notion of a sensitive period for attachment has no direct empirical support. (RH)

The normal, biologically adaptive development of attachment between the human infant under 3 years of age and mother/caregivers contrasts with the Anglo-Saxon cultural belief that babies should be accustomed to unpleasantness. Separation of hospitalized children from their mothers, as frequently done in the past, has resulted in psychological…