Maternal sensitivity and infant attachment security in Korea: Cross-cultural validation of the Strange Situation

2012 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mi Kyoung Jin ◽  
Deborah Jacobvitz ◽  
Nancy Hazen ◽  
Sung Hoon Jung
Keyword(s):  
Attachment Security ◽  
Maternal Sensitivity ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Strange Situation ◽  
Infant Attachment ◽  
Cultural Validation

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.

Maternal Sensitivity and Attachment Security in Thailand: Cross-Cultural Validation of Western Measures

2006 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nujjaree N. Chaimongkol ◽  
Louise H. Flick
Keyword(s):  
Maternal Behavior ◽  
Concurrent Validity ◽  
Convergent Validity ◽  
Attachment Security ◽  
Interobserver Reliability ◽  
Maternal Sensitivity ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Positive Correlation ◽  
Q Sort ◽  
Cultural Validation

The purpose of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of Thai versions of the Maternal Behavior Q-Sort (MBQS), Caldwell’s HOME, and the Attachment Q-set (AQS). A sample of 110 Thai mother-infant dyads were studied. The Content Validity Index (CVIs) of the Thai MBQS, HOME and AQS were between 91% and 99%. Internal consistency of the HOME was .71. Interobserver reliability of the MBQS, HOME, and AQS were .95, .87, and .87, respectively. Convergent validity was supported by finding a positive correlation between the MBQS and the HOME (r = .29, p < .001). A positive correlation of .45 (p < .001) between the scores of the MBQS and the AQS indicated concurrent validity of these scales. Study findings indicate the Thai MBQS, HOME, and AQS are reliable and valid in this Thai sample and suggest that the Thai versions reflect concepts similar to those in the original English versions.

The effects of child maltreatment and polymorphisms of the serotonin transporter and dopamine D4 receptor genes on infant attachment and intervention efficacy

2011 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 357-372 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dante Cicchetti ◽  
Fred A. Rogosch ◽  
Sheree L. Toth
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variation ◽  
Serotonin Transporter ◽  
Attachment Security ◽  
Variable Number Tandem Repeat ◽  
Variable Number ◽  
Strange Situation ◽  
Infant Attachment ◽  
Intervention Efficacy ◽  
D4 Receptor ◽  
The Stability

AbstractThis investigation examined the extent to which polymorphisms of the serotonin transporter linked promoter region (5-HTTLPR) and the dopamine receptor D4 (DRD4) genes differentially influenced the development of attachment security and disorganization in maltreated and nonmaltreated infants at age 13 months, and the extent to which the efficacy of preventive interventions to promote attachment security were influenced by genetic variation. The sample consisted of 106 infants from maltreating families, participating in a randomized control trial evaluating the efficacy of two interventions, child–parent psychotherapy and psychoeducational parenting intervention, and 47 infants from nonmaltreating families. DNA samples were genotyped for polymorphisms of5-HTTLPR,DRD4exon III variable number tandem repeat, andDRD4-521. Attachment organization at age 1 and at age 2 was assessed with the Strange Situation for all participants, prior to and following the completion of the interventions. High rates of disorganized attachment were observed in the maltreatment compared to the nonmaltreatment group, and both interventions resulted in increased rates of attachment security at age 2. Genetic variation did not influence improvement in attachment organization among maltreated infants. Among maltreated infants, genetic variation had minimal effect on attachment organization. In contrast, among nonmaltreated infants,5-HTTLPRandDRD4polymorphisms influenced attachment security and disorganization at age 2 and the stability of attachment disorganization over time.

Similarities and Differences in Mothers’ and Observers’ Descriptions of Attachment Behaviours

1997 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 599-619 ◽  
Author(s):  
George M. Tarabulsy ◽  
Effie Avgoustis ◽  
Jennifer Phillips ◽  
David R. Pederson ◽  
Greg Moran
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Parental Stress ◽  
Attachment Security ◽  
Maternal Sensitivity ◽  
Analysis Of Covariance ◽  
Infant Temperament ◽  
Strange Situation ◽  
Similarities And Differences ◽  
Different Sources

This report concerns the similarities and differences between maternal and observer Attachment Q-Set (AQS) security scores for 41 preterm and 38 fullterm infants. The following variables were assessed: maternal sensitivity (8 months); parental stress (8 months); mother- and observer-derived AQS measures of attachment security and dependency (12 months); and infant temperament (18 months). “Strange situations” were recorded at 18 months. Previous analyses of these data had shown that although mother and observer AQS security scores were correlated ( r = .55), only observer scores converged with the strange situation. Two additional series of analyses were carried out. The first revealed that AQS security scores of sensitive mothers, but not those of less sensitive mothers, are correlated with those of observers. Maternal sensitivity was unrelated to the lack of correspondence between mothers’ AQS scores and strange situation classification. Second, a factor analysis of the above variables revealed that while observers’ sensitivity and attachment security scores and mothers’ security scores loaded on to a Relationship Security factor, mothers’ security ratings also loaded on to an Infant Fussiness factor. This finding suggests that although both mothers and observers focus on items indicative of security when completing the AQS, mothers may place an additional emphasis on fussiness-related items. Further support for this suggestion was found in an analysis of covariance. When variance attributed to fussiness-related items of the AQS was partialed out of the mother-derived security score, the residual mapped on to the secure/nonsecure distinction in the strange situation. However, fussiness was unrelated to the mother-observer AQS correlation, indicating that different sources of variance may be involved in the mother-observer AQS correlation and in the correspondence between mothers’ AQS scores and the strange situation.

Emotional and adrenocortical regulation in early adolescence

2014 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 142-154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gottfried Spangler ◽  
Peter Zimmermann
Keyword(s):  
Early Adolescence ◽  
Emotional Regulation ◽  
Attachment Security ◽  
Computer Game ◽  
Social Regulation ◽  
Social Emotional ◽  
Strange Situation ◽  
Infant Attachment ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Attachment Disorganization

The aim of the present study was to examine differences in emotion expression and emotion regulation in emotion-eliciting situations in early adolescence from a bio-psycho-social perspective, specifically investigating the influence of early mother-infant attachment and attachment disorganization on behavioural and adrenocortical responses. The sample consisted of 96 children of the Regensburg Longitudinal Study IV. At age 12 months, attachment security and disorganization were assessed in the Strange Situation. At age 12 years, the adolescents were observed together with their mother during a computer game (eliciting anger) and the “Talk Show Task” (eliciting fear). Analyses included self-ratings and mother-ratings of the adolescents’ emotions (anger and fear), observations of the adolescents’ emotional expression and emotional regulation (social regulation, effective regulation) as well as concurrent maternal emotional support. In addition, adrenocortical activity was assessed from saliva samples before and after observation. The findings revealed different patterns of social-emotional responses depending on early attachment security. Adolescents with secure infant attachment reported more anger, when anger was induced, were rated as less anxious by their mothers, and their emotion self-ratings were more similar to their mothers’ ratings compared to adolescents with an early insecure attachment. An increased adrenocortical response was only found in the group of adolescents with attachment disorganization in infancy, especially with increased fear.

scholarly journals Parent–Infant Attachment Insecurity and Emotional Eating in Adolescence: Mediation through Emotion Suppression and Alexithymia

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 1662
Author(s):  
Roseriet Beijers ◽  
Marta Miragall ◽  
Yvonne van den Berg ◽  
Hanna Konttinen ◽  
Tatjana van Strien
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Eating ◽  
Attachment Security ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Attachment Insecurity ◽  
Strange Situation ◽  
Infant Attachment ◽  
Parental Caregiving ◽  
Emotion Regulation Strategy ◽  
Early Parent ◽  
Caregiving Quality

Emotional eating (EE), the propensity to eat in response to emotions, is thought to have its origins in the early parent–infant relationship. This study tested the hypothesis that infant attachment insecurity results in EE in adolescence through the increased use of the emotion regulation strategy suppression of emotions and subsequent alexithymia. At the age of 15 months, parent–infant attachment security (n = 129) was observed with two abbreviated attachment measures: the shortened strange situation procedure (SSSP), and the shortened attachment Q-set (S-AQS). At the age of 12 years, children completed self-report questionnaires to assess the suppression of emotions, alexithymia, and EE. At the age of 16 years, EE was measured again. The mediation models indicated that lower parent–infant attachment security predicted increased use of suppression of emotions, which was related to increased alexithymia, and in turn more EE at the age of 12 years. These results were similar and significant for both attachment measures, and also (marginal) significant with EE at the age of 16 years as an outcome. Lastly, when parental caregiving quality was included, the models with the SSSP as predictor remained significant, but the models with the S-AQS became insignificant. These results indicated that to a certain extent, infant attachment security could predict adolescent EE above and beyond parental caregiving quality.

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 Maternal sensitivity and mother-infant attachment are associated with antibiotic uptake in infancy

2020 ◽  
pp. 135910532094124
Author(s):  
Marina Fuertes ◽  
Joana L Gonçalves ◽  
Anabela Faria ◽  
Pedro Lopes-dos-Santos ◽  
Inês C Conceição ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Maternal Behavior ◽  
Attachment Security ◽  
Maternal Sensitivity ◽  
Antibiotic Consumption ◽  
Symptom Reporting ◽  
Regression Analyses ◽  
Infant Attachment

Attachment security has been associated with health status and symptom reporting. In this longitudinal study, we investigated the association between antibiotics uptake by infants at 9-months and mother-infant attachment at 12-months. Logistic regression analyses indicated that lower maternal sensitivity was associated with increased odds of antibiotic uptake. Furthermore, 89.7% of insecure-ambivalent infants consumed antibiotics, which contrasted with 32.5% of avoidant infants and 21.5% of secure infants. This study suggests that maternal behavior and mother-infant attachment impact on antibiotic consumption, which is worrying because antibiotics may lead to several health problems later in life and antibiotic-resistance.

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