Representations of attachment to parents and shyness as predictors of children's relationships with teachers and peer competence in preschool

Abstract

In a group of 112 children (46% boys), representations of attachment to parents and shyness at age 5 were used as predictors of social relationships in preschool at age 6. A Story Completion task was used to assess attachment representations and shyness was assessed through parent ratings and observations. Preschool teachers rated the child – teacher relationship and the child's peer competence. Children with avoidant representations had more conflictual and less close teacher relationships, and showed less prosocial orientation with peers than did children with secure attachment representations. Children with bizarre-ambivalent representations had somewhat less intimate teacher relationships and less social initiative with peers than did children with secure representations. Shy children had less close and less conflictual teacher relationships and somewhat less social initiative with peers than did non-shy children. There was one marginally significant interaction effect of the quality of attachment representations and shyness on social relationships.