Many important psychological theories emphasise the importance of early experience on later development. For Freud the first 6 years were key, while for Bowlby the relationship patterns established in the first few months of life shaped the individual’s future social-emotional development.
So far so good: few psychologists would question the idea that early experiences, particularly those falling outside the normal range, can impact on psychological development. However, all these classic theories leave us with a problem when it comes to explaining cases like that of Jenny Molloy (see PSYCHOLOGY REVIEW, Vol. 22, No. 1), who survived terrible early adversity to flourish as an adult.
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