Understanding and Supporting Parent-Child Relationships during Foster Care Visits: Attachment Theory and Research

Attachment theory has long been at the forefront of research efforts to understand the origins and enduring impact of early parent–child relationships. It has also expanded into a theory of lifespan implications with relevance to problems in developmental psychopathology, early intervention, and mental representation. This review of the expanding research literature on attachment is organized around eight questions: (a) To whom do attachments develop? (b) What are the biological foundations of attachment? (c) How does culture influence attachment and its consequences? (d) What contributes to attachments becoming secure or insecure? (e) How does attachment security change over time? (f) What are the later outcomes of secure or insecure attachments? (g) How does attachment influence thinking and social representations? (h) What are the clinical implications of attachment research? The answers to these questions summarize what has been learned about the importance of early parent–child relationships and identify future research priorities.

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Inversion of parent-child relationships: A contribution to attachment theory

British Journal of Medical Psychology ◽

10.1111/j.2044-8341.1985.tb02655.x ◽

1985 ◽

Vol 58 (4) ◽

pp. 369-373 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Marco Bacciagaluppi

Keyword(s):

Attachment Theory ◽

Parent Child Relationships ◽

Parent Child

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Is Attachment Theory Consistent with Aboriginal Parenting Realities?

First Peoples Child & Family Review: An Interdisciplinary Journal Honouring the Voices, Perspectives, and Knowledges of First Peoples ◽

10.7202/1069465ar ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

pp. 65-74 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Raymond Neckoway ◽

Keith Brownlee ◽

Bruno Castellan

Keyword(s):

Cultural Differences ◽

Attachment Theory ◽

Parenting Practices ◽

Attachment Security ◽

Aboriginal Peoples ◽

Cultural Groups ◽

Naturally Occurring ◽

Sense Of Security ◽

Parent Child Relationships ◽

Parent Child

Attachment theory has become one of the most inﬂuential models guiding parent-child relationships in programs of prevention, treatment, and education, including programs for Aboriginal parents. However, whether the model can be reliably applied when working with Aboriginal peoples has not yet been established. Studies on attachment security conducted with different cultural groups provide a means of comparing naturally occurring differences in parenting practices and socio-emotional environments of children. These studies report inconsistencies of attachment security across cultures and suggest that consideration should be given to cultural differences when applying attachment theory across cultures. In this article, we analyse the correspondence between attachment theory and descriptions of Aboriginal parenting and question the relevance of attachment theory to Aboriginal parents who do not adhere to the mother-infant dyad as the sole contributor to the child’s sense of security.

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A Critical Exploration of Child-Parent Attachment as a Contextual Construct

10.20944/preprints201811.0228.v1 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Ya-Hsin Lai ◽

Sam Carr

Keyword(s):

Attachment Theory ◽

Conceptual Development ◽

Parent Attachment ◽

Integrative Framework ◽

Critical Exploration ◽

Context Specific ◽

Parent Child Relationships ◽

Parent Child

Bowlby’s (1969/1982) attachment theory has been employed as a broad and integrative framework to explore human wellness across a range of disciplines. Attachment theory has even been labelled one of the last surviving “grand theories” not to have been completely dismissed, replaced, or extensively reworked (e.g., Carr, 2012; Mercer, 2011). However, despite the ubiquitous nature of some of the theory’s fundamental tenets, there are always possibilities for new conceptual development, extension, and revision. In this paper, we critically explore the idea of “context-specific” attachment within parent-child relationships. We briefly outline critical assumptions and key areas of attachment and articulate potential rationale, conceptualisation, and relevance of contextual attachment.

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A Place for Attachment Theory in Child Life Programming: The Potential to Assess the Quality of Parent–child Relationships

Child & Youth Care Forum ◽

10.1007/s10566-005-3469-0 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 34 (3) ◽

pp. 195-207 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Joan C. Turner

Keyword(s):

Attachment Theory ◽

Child Life ◽

Parent Child Relationships ◽

Parent Child

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A Critical Exploration of Child-Parent Attachment as a Contextual Construct

Behavioral Sciences ◽

10.3390/bs8120112 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 8 (12) ◽

pp. 112 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Ya-Hsin Lai ◽

Sam Carr

Keyword(s):

Attachment Theory ◽

Conceptual Development ◽

Parent Attachment ◽

Integrative Framework ◽

Critical Exploration ◽

Specific Attachment ◽

Context Specific ◽

Parent Child Relationships ◽

Parent Child

Bowlby’s attachment theory has been employed as a broad and integrative framework to explore human wellness across a range of disciplines. Attachment theory has even been labelled one of the last surviving “grand theories” not to have been completely dismissed, replaced, or extensively reworked. However, despite the ubiquitous nature of some of the theory’s fundamental tenets, there are always possibilities for new conceptual development, extension, and revision. In this paper, we critically explore the idea of “context-specific” attachment within parent-child relationships. We briefly outline critical assumptions and key areas of attachment and articulate potential rationale, conceptualization, and relevance of contextual attachment.

Download Full-text