Attachment the Italian Way

2013 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosalinda Cassibba ◽  
Giovanna Sette ◽  
Marian J. Bakermans-Kranenburg ◽  
Marinus H. van IJzendoorn
Keyword(s):  
Attachment Theory ◽  
Adult Attachment ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Strange Situation ◽  
Infant Attachment ◽  
Unresolved Loss

In the present meta-analysis 627 Strange Situation Procedures (SSP; Ainsworth, Blehar, Waters, & Wall, 1978 ) from 17 Italian infant attachment studies and 2,258 Adult Attachment Interviews (AAI; Main, Kaplan, & Cassidy, 1985 ) from 50 Italian adult attachment studies were included. All studies were published between 1990 and 2009. Our aim was to test the universality hypothesis of attachment theory in this Italian database. Results indicated that the majority of nonclinical Italian infants were classified as securely attached (53%); similarly, the majority of nonclinical Italian adults were secure (60%). Although cross-cultural similarities provide evidence for the universality hypothesis of attachment theory, our meta-analysis revealed also interesting cultural specificities. First, nonclinical Italian infants’ distribution showed an overrepresentation of avoidant attachments compared to the normative distribution. Second, the underrepresentation of unresolved loss among Italian nonclinical adults was noteworthy.

scholarly journals Cross-Cultural Patterns of Attachment: A Meta-Analysis of the Strange Situation

1988 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
pp. 147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marinus H. van IJzendoorn ◽  
Pieter M. Kroonenberg
Keyword(s):  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Cultural Patterns ◽  
Strange Situation

scholarly journals Cross-cultural Patterns of Attachment: A Meta-Analysis of the Strange Situation

1988 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
pp. 147-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marinus H. IJzendoorn ◽  
Pieter M. Kroonenberg
Keyword(s):  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Cultural Patterns ◽  
Strange Situation

Major depression as a predictor of the intergenerational transmission of attachment security: Findings from a pregnancy cohort study

2021 ◽  
pp. 000486742110607
Author(s):  
Megan Galbally ◽  
Stuart J Watson ◽  
Anne Tharner ◽  
Maartje Luijk ◽  
Gaynor Blankley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Major Depression ◽  
Adult Attachment ◽  
Attachment Security ◽  
Maternal Sensitivity ◽  
Adult Attachment Interview ◽  
Insecure Attachment ◽  
Parent Attachment ◽  
Strange Situation ◽  
Infant Attachment ◽  
Strange Situation Procedure

Objective: Understanding the relationship between attachment and mental health has an important role in informing management of perinatal mental disorders and for infant mental health. It has been suggested that experiences of attachment are transmitted from one generation to the next. Maternal sensitivity has been proposed as a mediator, although findings have not been as strong as hypothesised. A meta-analysis suggested that this intergenerational transmission of attachment may vary across populations with lower concordance between parent and infant attachment classifications in clinical compared to community samples. However, no previous study has examined major depression and adult attachment in pregnancy as predictors of infant–parent attachment classification at 12 months postpartum. Methods: Data were obtained on 52 first-time mothers recruited in early pregnancy, which included 22 women who met diagnostic criteria for current major depression using the Structured Clinical Interview for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The Adult Attachment Interview was also administered before 20 weeks of pregnancy. A history of early trauma was measured using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and maternal sensitivity was measured at 6 months postpartum using the observational measure of the Emotional Availability Scales. Infant–parent attachment was measured using the Strange Situation Procedure at 12 months. Results: Overall, we found no significant association between the Adult Attachment Interview and the Strange Situation Procedure classifications. However, a combination of maternal non-autonomous attachment on the Adult Attachment Interview and major depression was a significant predictor of insecure attachment on the Strange Situation Procedure. We did not find that maternal sensitivity mediated parental and infant attachment security in this sample. Conclusion: While previous meta-analyses identified lower concordance in clinical samples, our findings suggest women with major depression and non-autonomous attachment have a greater concordance with insecure attachment on the Strange Situation Procedure. These findings can guide future research and suggest a focus on depression in pregnancy may be important for subsequent infant attachment.

scholarly journals Contributions of attachment theory and research: A framework for future research, translation, and policy

2013 ◽  
Vol 25 (4pt2) ◽  
pp. 1415-1434 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jude Cassidy ◽  
Jason D. Jones ◽  
Phillip R. Shaver
Keyword(s):  
School Readiness ◽  
Attachment Theory ◽  
Child Psychopathology ◽  
Adult Attachment Interview ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Research Translation ◽  
Strange Situation ◽  
Infant Attachment ◽  
Attachment Patterns ◽  
Attachment Research

AbstractAttachment theory has been generating creative and impactful research for almost half a century. In this article we focus on the documented antecedents and consequences of individual differences in infant attachment patterns, suggesting topics for further theoretical clarification, research, clinical interventions, and policy applications. We pay particular attention to the concept of cognitive “working models” and to neural and physiological mechanisms through which early attachment experiences contribute to later functioning. We consider adult caregiving behavior that predicts infant attachment patterns, and the still-mysterious “transmission gap” between parental Adult Attachment Interview classifications and infant Strange Situation classifications. We also review connections between attachment and (a) child psychopathology; (b) neurobiology; (c) health and immune function; (d) empathy, compassion, and altruism; (e) school readiness; and (f) culture. We conclude with clinical–translational and public policy applications of attachment research that could reduce the occurrence and maintenance of insecure attachment during infancy and beyond. Our goal is to inspire researchers to continue advancing the field by finding new ways to tackle long-standing questions and by generating and testing novel hypotheses.

scholarly journals Attachment and relationships: Milestones and future directions

2010 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 173-180 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffry A. Simpson ◽  
W. Steven Rholes
Keyword(s):  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Attachment Theory ◽  
Adult Attachment ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
The Past

Adult attachment researchers have made important strides during the past 25 years in testing and applying attachment theory to multiple personal and interpersonal domains. We highlight some of the major milestones and then propose several directions for future research. Some of the most important and promising directions include testing additional normative processes implied by attachment theory, developing and testing critical connections between attachment theory and other major interpersonal theories, and identifying pathways between attachment processes and long-term health outcomes.

Maternal interactive behavior and infant attachment: A meta-analysis

1996 ◽  
Vol 19 ◽  
pp. 423 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marianne S. de Wolff ◽  
Marinus H. Van Ijzendoorn ◽  
Rene van der Veer
Keyword(s):  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Infant Attachment ◽  
Interactive Behavior

Insecure Adult Attachment and Child Maltreatment: A Meta-Analysis

2017 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 706-719 ◽  
Author(s):  
Camilla K. M. Lo ◽  
Ko Ling Chan ◽  
Patrick Ip
Keyword(s):  
Child Abuse ◽  
Child Maltreatment ◽  
Adult Attachment ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Abuse Potential ◽  
Insecure Attachment ◽  
Medium Effect ◽  
Child Abuse Potential ◽  
Subgroup Analyses ◽  
The Relationship

Extant evidence has shown that insecure adult attachment is related to dysfunctional parenting styles that heighten parents’ risk of child maltreatment. However, there is a lack of studies appraising the evidence for the association between insecure adult attachment and child maltreatment. This meta-analytic study examined the relationship between parents’ adult attachment and child maltreatment perpetration/child abuse potential. Studies examining the relationship between parents’ adult attachment and child maltreatment/child abuse potential published before February 2017 were identified through a systematic search of online databases. In total, 16 studies ( N = 1,830) were selected. Meta-analysis based on random-effects models shows a significant positive association between insecure attachment and child maltreatment (pooled effect size: odds ratio [ OR] = 2.93, p = .000). Subgroup analyses show insecure attachment was more strongly associated with failure to thrive ( OR = 8.04, p = .000) and filicide ( OR = 5.00, p < .05). Medium effect sizes were found for subgroup analyses on insecure romantic attachment ( OR = 3.76, p = .000), general attachment ( OR = 3.38, p = .000), attachment to own child ( OR = 3.13, p = .001), and to own parents ( OR = 2.63, p = .000) in relation to child maltreatment.

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