Mothers’ electrophysiological, subjective, and observed emotional responding to infant crying: The role of secure base script knowledge

2014 ◽  
Vol 27 (4pt1) ◽  
pp. 1237-1250 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashley M. Groh ◽  
Glenn I. Roisman ◽  
Katherine C. Haydon ◽  
Kelly Bost ◽  
Nancy McElwain ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Positive Emotion ◽  
Emotional Responses ◽  
Secure Base ◽  
Attachment Representations ◽  
Infant Crying ◽  
Infant Distress ◽  
Emotional Responding ◽  
Secure Base Script ◽  
Eeg Activation

AbstractThis study examined the extent to which secure base script knowledge—reflected in the ability to generate narratives in which attachment-relevant events are encountered, a clear need for assistance is communicated, competent help is provided and accepted, and the problem is resolved—is associated with mothers’ electrophysiological, subjective, and observed emotional responses to an infant distress vocalization. While listening to an infant crying, mothers (N= 108,Mage = 34 years) lower on secure base script knowledge exhibited smaller shifts in relative left (vs. right) frontal EEG activation from rest, reported smaller reductions in feelings of positive emotion from rest, and expressed greater levels of tension. Findings indicate that lower levels of secure base script knowledge are associated with an organization of emotional responding indicative of a less flexible and more emotionally restricted response to infant distress. Discussion focuses on the contribution of mothers’ attachment representations to their ability to effectively manage emotional responding to infant distress in a manner expected to support sensitive caregiving.

scholarly journals Attachment Disorder Symptoms and Prosocial Behavior in Middle Childhood: The Role of Secure Base Script Knowledge

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bien Cuyvers ◽  
Noortje Vervoort ◽  
Guy Bosmans
Keyword(s):  
Behavior Problems ◽  
Prosocial Behavior ◽  
Primary Caregivers ◽  
Secure Base ◽  
Attachment Representations ◽  
Attachment Disorder ◽  
Attachment Figure ◽  
Withdrawn Behavior ◽  
Secure Base Script

Abstract Background: Children with attachment disorder show prosocial behavior problems. Prosocial behavior problems are an operationalization of the symptom of inhibited and emotionally withdrawn behavior in children with attachment disorder symptoms. However, the underlying mechanism between attachment disorder symptoms and prosocial behavior problems is still unclear and findings in literature are mixed.Methods: The current study investigated the role of children’s attachment representations in this association. Attachment representations reflect knowledge about a cognitive script regarding the attachment figure as a source for support (Secure Base Script). We tested whether secure base script knowledge 1) mediates or 2) moderates the link between attachment disorder symptoms and prosocial behavior problems in 67 children (6-11 years; 83.1% boys) recruited from special education schools for children with behavioral problems. Children completed a pictorial Secure Base Script Test. Their attachment disorder symptoms were assessed during an interview with the primary caregivers. Primary caregivers and teachers filled out a prosocial behavior questionnaire about the child. Results: Results did not support the mediation hypothesis, but evidence for the moderation hypothesis was found. Secure base script knowledge attenuated the negative association between attachment disorder symptoms and prosocial behavior.Conclusions: These findings contribute to the discussion about the link between attachment representations and attachment disorders.

scholarly journals Reactive Attachment Disorder Symptoms and Prosocial Behavior in Middle Childhood: The Role of Secure Base Script Knowledge 

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bien Cuyvers ◽  
Eleonore Vervoort ◽  
Guy Bosmans
Keyword(s):  
Behavior Problems ◽  
Prosocial Behavior ◽  
Primary Caregivers ◽  
Reactive Attachment Disorder ◽  
Secure Base ◽  
Attachment Representations ◽  
Attachment Disorder ◽  
Secure Base Script ◽  
Reactive Attachment

Abstract Background: Children with attachment disorder show prosocial behavior problems. Children with a reactive attachment disorder show inhibited and emotionally withdrawn behavior. Consequently, these children typically display prosocial behavior problems. However, the underlying mechanism between reactive attachment disorder and prosocial behavior problems is still unclear and findings in literature are mixed. Methods: The current study investigated the role of children’s attachment representations in this association. Attachment representations reflect knowledge about a cognitive script regarding the attachment figure as a source for support (Secure Base Script). We tested whether secure base script knowledge 1) mediates or 2) moderates the link between reactive attachment disorder and prosocial behavior problems in 83 children (6-11 years; 83.1% boys) recruited from special education schools for children with behavioral problems. Children completed a pictorial Secure Base Script Test. Their reactive attachment disorder symptoms were assessed during an interview with the primary caregivers. Primary caregivers and teachers filled out a prosocial behavior questionnaire about the child. Results: Results did not support the mediation hypothesis, but evidence for the moderation hypothesis was found. Secure base script knowledge attenuated the negative association between attachment disorder symptoms and prosocial behavior. Conclusions: These findings contribute to the discussion about the link between attachment representations and attachment disorders.

scholarly journals Reactive Attachment Disorder Symptoms and Prosocial Behavior in Middle Childhood: The Role of Secure Base Script Knowledge

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bien Cuyvers ◽  
Eleonore Vervoort ◽  
Guy Bosmans
Keyword(s):  
Behavior Problems ◽  
Prosocial Behavior ◽  
Primary Caregivers ◽  
Reactive Attachment Disorder ◽  
Secure Base ◽  
Attachment Representations ◽  
Attachment Disorder ◽  
Secure Base Script ◽  
Reactive Attachment

Abstract Background: Children with attachment disorder show prosocial behavior problems. Children with a reactive attachment disorder show inhibited and emotionally withdrawn behavior. Consequently, these children typically display prosocial behavior problems. However, the underlying mechanism between reactive attachment disorder and prosocial behavior problems is still unclear and findings in literature are mixed. Methods : The current study investigated the role of children’s attachment representations in this association. Attachment representations reflect knowledge about a cognitive script regarding the attachment figure as a source for support (Secure Base Script). We tested whether secure base script knowledge 1) mediates or 2) moderates the link between reactive attachment disorder and prosocial behavior problems in 83 children (6-11 years; 83.1% boys) recruited from special education schools for children with behavioral problems. Children completed a pictorial Secure Base Script Test. Their reactive attachment disorder symptoms were assessed during an interview with the primary caregivers. Primary caregivers and teachers filled out a prosocial behavior questionnaire about the child. Results : Results did not support the mediation hypothesis, but evidence for the moderation hypothesis was found. Secure base script knowledge attenuated the negative association between attachment disorder symptoms and prosocial behavior. Conclusions : These findings contribute to the discussion about the link between attachment representations and attachment disorders.

Mothers’ Neural and Behavioral Responses to Their Infants’ Distress Cues: The Role of Secure Base Script Knowledge

2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 242-253 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashley M. Groh ◽  
Katherine C. Haydon
Keyword(s):  
Facial Expressions ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Event Related Potentials ◽  
Cognitive Resources ◽  
Secure Base ◽  
Attachment Representations ◽  
Infant Distress ◽  
Secure Base Script ◽  
Related Potentials ◽  
Distress Cues

This research examined mothers’ secure base script knowledge—reflected in the ability to generate narratives in which attachment-relevant problems are recognized, competent help is offered, and problems are resolved—and its significance for early-stage processing of infants’ distress cues, using event-related potentials in an emotion oddball task. Mothers with lower secure base script knowledge exhibited (a) a heightened P3b response—reflective of greater allocation of cognitive resources—to their infants’ distressed (but not happy) target facial expressions; (b) a larger P3b response to their infants’ distressed (compared with happy) target facial expressions, which is indicative of allocating disproportional attentional resources to processing their infants’ distress; and (c) poorer accuracy in identifying their infants’ distressed target facial expressions. Findings suggest that mothers’ attachment-relevant biases in processing their infants’ emotion cues are especially tied to infant distress and shed light on underlying mechanisms linking mothers’ attachment representations with sensitive responding to infant distress.

scholarly journals Reactive attachment disorder symptoms and prosocial behavior in middle childhood: the role of Secure Base Script knowledge

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bien Cuyvers ◽  
Eleonora Vervoort ◽  
Guy Bosmans
Keyword(s):  
Behavior Problems ◽  
Prosocial Behavior ◽  
Primary Caregivers ◽  
Reactive Attachment Disorder ◽  
Secure Base ◽  
Attachment Representations ◽  
Attachment Disorder ◽  
Secure Base Script ◽  
Reactive Attachment

Abstract Background Children with attachment disorder show prosocial behavior problems. Children with a reactive attachment disorder show inhibited and emotionally withdrawn behavior. Consequently, these children typically display prosocial behavior problems. However, the underlying mechanism between reactive attachment disorder and prosocial behavior problems is still unclear and findings in literature are mixed. Methods The current study investigated the role of children’s attachment representations in this association. Attachment representations reflect knowledge about a cognitive script regarding the attachment figure as a source for support (Secure Base Script). We tested whether secure base script knowledge 1) mediates or 2) moderates the link between reactive attachment disorder and prosocial behavior problems in 83 children (6–11 years; 83.1% boys) recruited from special education schools for children with behavioral problems. Children completed a pictorial Secure Base Script Test. Their reactive attachment disorder symptoms were assessed during an interview with the primary caregivers. Primary caregivers and teachers filled out a prosocial behavior questionnaire about the child. Results Results did not support the mediation hypothesis, but evidence for the moderation hypothesis was found. Secure base script knowledge attenuated the negative association between attachment disorder symptoms and prosocial behavior. Conclusions These findings contribute to the discussion about the link between attachment representations and attachment disorders.

scholarly journals Increasing secure base script knowledge among parents with Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
K. Lee Raby ◽  
Theodore E. A. Waters ◽  
Alexandra R. Tabachnick ◽  
Lindsay Zajac ◽  
Mary Dozier
Keyword(s):  
Child Protective Services ◽  
Low Risk ◽  
Secure Base ◽  
Attachment Representations ◽  
Protective Services ◽  
Parental Sensitivity ◽  
Control Intervention ◽  
Secure Base Script ◽  
Catch Up ◽  
To Receive

Abstract This study evaluated whether Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up (ABC), a parenting intervention, altered the attachment representations of parents (average age of 34.2 years) who had been referred to Child Protective Services (CPS) due to risk for child maltreatment when their children were infants. Approximately 7 years after completing the intervention, parents who had been randomized to receive ABC (n = 43) exhibited greater secure base script knowledge than parents who had been randomized to receive a control intervention (n = 51). Low-risk parents (n = 79) exhibited greater secure base script knowledge than CPS-referred parents who had received a control intervention. However, levels of secure base script knowledge did not differ between low-risk parents and CPS-referred parents who had received the ABC intervention. In addition, secure base script knowledge was positively associated with parental sensitivity during interactions with their 8-year-old children among low-risk and CPS-referred parents. Mediational analyses supported the idea that the ABC intervention enhanced parents’ sensitivity 7 years later indirectly via increases in parents’ secure base script knowledge.

scholarly journals Does Secure Base Script Knowledge Mediate Associations Between Observed Parental Caregiving During Childhood and Adult Romantic Relationship Quality and Health?

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Or Dagan ◽  
Renate S. M. Buisman ◽  
Marissa D Nivison ◽  
Theodore Waters ◽  
Brian E. Vaughn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Relationship Quality ◽  
Youth Development ◽  
Romantic Relationship ◽  
Secure Base ◽  
Attachment Representations ◽  
Early Child Care ◽  
Secure Base Script ◽  
Basic Features ◽  
Romantic Relationship Quality

Increasingly, attachment representations are being assessed via secure base script knowledge—the degree to which individuals show awareness of the temporal-causal schema that summarizes the basic features of seeking and receiving effective support from caregivers during times of need. Limited research has assessed the links between secure base script knowledge and aspects of adult functioning or the role that secure base script knowledge may play in accounting for associations between early caregiving quality and adulthood functioning. We used follow-up assessments of the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development cohort (N = 585) to examine whether secure base script knowledge as measured by the adolescent version of the Attachment Script Assessment at age 18 years: (a) is associated with later romantic relationship quality (assessed via perceived partner’s warmth and hostility), depressive symptoms, and body mass index (BMI) at age 26 years, and (b) mediates expected associations between the quality of maternal and paternal sensitivity across the first 15 years of life and age-26 outcomes. More access to and elaborated knowledge of the secure base script predicted less extreme hostility with romantic partners, and better emotional and physical health (i.e., fewer depressive symptoms and lower BMI). Moreover, secure base script knowledge mediated links between early maternal and paternal sensitivity and both later romantic partner hostility and depressive symptoms, but not BMI.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document