Problem: How can I make notes with bullet points in this paragraph? Evolutionary biases in the infant's learning abilities also interact with the parents' support, making it likely that the infant will use the parent as a secure base, a starting point from which the infant can venture forth to explore the world and a haven of safety to which he or she can return in times of danger or stress. According to Bowlby, attachment is linked to exploration. To learn about the environment, the child must explore, but exploration can be tiring and even dangerous, so it is desirable to have a protector nearby. The exploration system functions optimally only when an attachment figure is available and responsive. One unique value of Bowlby's theory lies in its emphasis on the active role played by the infant's early social signaling systems, such as smiling and crying. Another important feature is the theory's stress on the development of mutual attachments, whereby parent and child form attachments to each other (Cassidy, 2008; Thompson, 2016). A third important feature is that an attachment is a relationship, not simply a behavior of either the infant or the parent (Sroufe, 2002). More controversial is Bowlby's suggestion that infants' early behaviors are biologically programmed. As we have seen, considerable evidence suggests that some attachment behaviors, such as smiling, have social as well as biological origins. Need Assignment Help?