This does not diminish the logic of his arguments, though. Fonagy is very clear and direct when making a link between aspects of the infant relationship during the attachment phase and later adult behaviors and personalities, and these show a clearly observable and empirically founded cause-and-effect relationship, for the most part. The development of the theory of mind," for instance, is clearly established by the experiments Fonagy details in the article, and its implications on the parent-child relationship -- especially in the sense that the parent's observational capacity of the child's mind is important to the formation of the theory of mind -- are clearly drawn. So, too, are the recommendations Fonagy makes for adjusting parenting styles based on his findings.
Despite a slight hesitation in wholeheartedly accepting Fonagy's conclusions, they still have a very high degree of relevance and utility for social work practice. This utility is twofold. First, the information Fonagy has presented can lead to a much clearer and deeper understanding of the various individuals, both children and adult, that a social worker may come into contact with. Though it is perhaps presumptuous to assume that personality...
Arguably even more important than helping adults, however, social workers can suggest ways to adjust parenting practice and more accurately assess the need of at-risk children due to the information Fonagy presents in this article. Attachment issues are likely to be high in children that come into regular contact with social workers, for one reason or another, and learning to identify and address these issues early can perhaps forestall and even prevent the damage done to development due to improper and/or incomplete and ineffective or entirely lacking attachment relationships.
Fonagy can perhaps be forgiven for the certitude of certain of his conclusions; this paper was presented to a room of his peers who were certainly more well-versed in the background information than the current reader. It is clear that his information is well-founded and well-intentioned regardless.
