Emotional and adrenocortical regulation in early adolescence

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.

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

Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1177/00048674211060749 ◽

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.

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Couple Conflict and Music Utilisation

Journal of Relationships Research ◽

10.1017/jrr.2020.9 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 ◽

Author(s):

Kevin M. Smith ◽

Gina Martin

Keyword(s):

Grounded Theory ◽

Theoretical Model ◽

Emotional Regulation ◽

Social Regulation ◽

Theory Approach ◽

Social Emotional ◽

Couple Conflict ◽

Relational Distance ◽

Grounded Theory Approach ◽

Repair Attempt

Abstract It is believed that conflict exists on a spectrum, which holds interest for many relationship researchers. However, it is not well understood how music is utilised within couples when they engage in conflict, considering music has been known to assist in reducing physiological, emotional, and social regulation. The proposed study explored how music was utilised in times of conflict for couples through a grounded theory approach. The main themes that emerged were: variability of choice, knowledge of partner's habits, communication, similarity of style, relational distance, repair attempt, music utilisation as relational engagement, emotional regulation, and hopeful togetherness. These themes are presented in a theoretical model of how couples utilise music to regulate social, emotional, and biological domains of their relationship.

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

Attachment & Human Development ◽

10.1080/14616734.2012.636656 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

pp. 33-44 ◽

Cited By ~ 31

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

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

Development and Psychopathology ◽

10.1017/s0954579411000113 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 23 (2) ◽

pp. 357-372 ◽

Cited By ~ 55

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.

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

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu13051662 ◽

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.

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Attachment security in children with autism

Development and Psychopathology ◽

10.1017/s0954579400004569 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 6 (2) ◽

pp. 249-261 ◽

Cited By ~ 101

Author(s):

Lisa Capps ◽

Marian Sigman ◽

Peter Mundy

Keyword(s):

Joint Attention ◽

Attachment Security ◽

Children With Autism ◽

Receptive Language ◽

Reciprocal Relationship ◽

Emotional Understanding ◽

Autistic Children ◽

Social Emotional ◽

Strange Situation ◽

Pathological Development

AbstractNineteen autistic children were examined in a modified version of Ainsworth's Strange Situation. The attachment security of 15 children could be classified. Each of these children displayed disorganized attachment patterns, but almost half (40%) of them were subclassified as securely attached. To assess the validity of the attachment classifications, children and their mothers were observed in a separate interaction. Mothers of children who were subclassified as securely attached displayed greater sensitivity than mothers of children who were subclassified as insecurely attached. Children who were subclassified as securely attached more frequently initiated social interaction with their mothers than did children who were subclassified as insecurely attached. Children with secure and insecure subclassifications were compared to investigate correlations between attachment organization and representational ability and social-emotional understanding. Although children with underlying secure attachments were no more likely to initiate joint attention, they were more responsive to bids for joint attention, made requests more frequently, and demonstrated greater receptive language ability than children subclassified as insecurely attached. Discussion focuses on dynamics that may contribute to individual differences in the attachment organization of autistic children and on the reciprocal relationship between advances in our understanding of normal and pathological development.

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Mother–infant cortisol attunement: Associations with mother–infant attachment disorganization

Development and Psychopathology ◽

10.1017/s0954579418001396 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 32 (1) ◽

pp. 43-55 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Jaclyn A. (Ludmer) Nofech-Mozes ◽

Brittany Jamieson ◽

Andrea Gonzalez ◽

Leslie Atkinson

Keyword(s):

Community Sample ◽

Growth Modeling ◽

Difference Score ◽

Disorganized Attachment ◽

Strange Situation ◽

Infant Attachment ◽

Score Analysis ◽

Attachment Disorganization ◽

The Difference ◽

Adrenocortical Responses

AbstractThis study explores the conceptualization of mother–infant cortisol attunement both theoretically and empirically, and its association with mother–infant attachment disorganization. In a community sample (N = 256), disorganization and cortisol were assessed during the Strange Situation Procedure (SSP) at infant age 17 months. Salivary cortisol was collected at baseline, and 20 and 40 min after the SSP. We utilized three statistical approaches: correlated growth modeling (probing a simultaneous conceptualization of attunement), cross-lagged modeling (probing a lagged, reciprocal conceptualization of attunement), and a multilevel model difference score analysis (to examine the pattern of discrepancies in mother–infant cortisol values). Correlated growth modeling revealed that disorganized, relative to organized, dyads had significant magnitude of change over time, such that, among disorganized dyads, as mothers had greater declines in cortisol, infants had greater increases. The difference score analysis revealed that disorganized, relative to organized, dyads had a greater divergence between maternal and infant cortisol values, such that maternal values were lower than infant values. Disorganized attachment status was not significantly associated with attunement when conceptualized as reciprocal and lagged in the cross-lagged model. Findings suggest that mother–infant dyads in disorganized attachment relationships, who are by definition behaviorally misattuned, are also misattuned in their adrenocortical responses.

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