Mother-child Attachment Research Articles

Correlates of child–father and child–mother attachment in the preschool years

ABSTRACTThe increase in fathers’ involvement in childrearing, particularly beyond infancy, warrants research exploring factors influencing the quality of child–father attachment relationships, and the impact of these relationships on children’s social development. The current investigation explored various correlates of preschoolers’ child–father attachment security to both parents, including contextual factors (i.e., socioeconomic status, child temperament, parenting stress), parental play sensitivity, and child social adaptation. Participants included 107 preschool-aged children (59 girls; M = 46.67 months, SD = 8.57) and their fathers and mothers. Results revealed that both mothers’ and fathers’ play sensitivity were associated with child attachment security after controlling for different contextual factors. Furthermore, the magnitude of the association between child conduct problems and child–father attachment insecurity was stronger than the corresponding association with child–mother attachment insecurity. Findings provide important information on caregiving factors associated with child–father attachment security in the preschool years and the importance of this bond to children’s social adaptation.

Parental Environment Quality, Mother-Child Attachment, and Cognitive Development of Preschool Children with Working Mother

<p>This research aimed to analyze parental environment quality, attachment between mother and children, cognitive development, and correlation among those variables. This research took place at Tanah Sareal and Bogor Barat, Bogor City and involved 39 children at preschool age with their mom chosen by purposive method. Data were collected by interview using structure questionnaire and observation. Data were analyzed by descriptive analysis and correlation. More than 50 percent children have the medium score of the parental environment quality, attachment at average category, and cognitive development. Mothers education were correlated significantly positive with parental environment quality, learning, and attachment.</p>

KELEKATAN IBU-ANAK, PERTUMBUHAN ANAK, DAN PERKEMBANGAN SOSIAL EMOSI ANAK USIA PRASEKOLAH

The research aimed to analyze the influence of mother-child attachment and child growth on social-emotional development of preschoolers children. This research used cross sectional design and conducted in the Village of Balumbang Jaya, West Bogor sub-district, Bogor City.. This research involved 100 families that were selected by purposive sampling and then involved mother as respondent. For answering the purpose of the study, the data were analyzed using multiple linear regression. This research showed that about two of five mothers (61,0%) had an insecure mother-child attachment. Moreover, about seven of ten children (70,0%) had a risk on growth disorder. Meanwhile, the study revealed that emotional social development of children were in medium categorize with the highest average index on adaptive functioning dimension and the lowest on compliance dimension. Children whose the mother did not work had higher emotional social development than children whose the mother worked. Children who had normal growth status, had higher emotional social development than children who had the risk of growth disorder status. Moreover, increasing of education level of the mother and mother-child attachment will affect the improvement of social-emotional development of preschoolers children.

DUKUNGAN INFORMASIONAL ORANG TUA: PENENTU KEBERHASILAN PRESTASI AKADEMIK ANAK DI PERDESAAN

Academic achievement can be influenced by internal and external factors. External factors are including family, friend, and school environment that interact with children. This study aimed to analyze the social support received by children from the environment and also to analyze the role of the mother-child attachment to the academic achievement of elementary school children in rural areas. Participants were 100 primary school-age children who live in intact families in rural areas from the two selected primary schools in the study sites. The sampling technique was using proportional random sampling; based on the number and sex of the students in each selected schools. The study found that the better informational support of the parents, the better academic achievement of children. It is also found that the better mother-child attachment, the better academic achievement of primary school-age children in rural areas. However, regression test of the hyphothesis model, this study showed that only the informational support of the parent is the most significant determinant factor on the academic achievement of children in rural areas than the other variables.

Child-child similarity on attachment and temperament as predictors of positive interaction during acquaintanceship at age 3.

Child-child similarity on attachment and temperament were examined, in turn, as predictors of interaction quality between previously unacquainted children. At 33 months, child-mother attachment security was assessed, and parents reported on child temperament. At 39 months, 114 children were randomly paired into 57 same-sex dyads and observed during 3 laboratory visits over a 1-month period. Positive interaction (composed of ratings of dyadic coordination, social play complexity, and shared positive affect) was assessed from recordings of play sessions at each visit. Multilevel models revealed that child-child similarity on (a) attachment security predicted more rapid increases in positive interaction across the 3 visits for dyads averaging high security, (b) temperamental pleasure predicted more positive interaction, on average, for dyads averaging moderate to high pleasure, and (c) temperamental anger and fearfulness yielded equivocal results. Developmental and methodological implications of investigating child-child similarity on attachment and temperament as a window into the acquaintanceship process among young children are considered. (PsycINFO Database Record

Goodness of fit between prenatal maternal sleep and infant sleep: Associations with maternal depression and attachment security

The current study prospectively examined the ways in which goodness of fit between maternal and infant sleep contributes to maternal depressive symptoms and the mother-child relationship across the first years of life. In a sample of 173 mother-child dyads, maternal prenatal sleep, infant sleep, maternal depressive symptoms, and mother-child attachment security were assessed via self-report, actigraphy, and observational measures. Results suggested that a poor fit between mothers’ prenatal sleep and infants’ sleep at 8 months (measured by sleep diary and actigraphy) was associated with maternal depressive symptoms at 15 months. Additionally, maternal depression mediated the association between the interplay of mother and infant sleep (measured by sleep diary) and mother-child attachment security at 30 months. Findings emphasize the importance of the match between mother and infant sleep on maternal wellbeing and mother-child relationships and highlight the role of mothers’ perceptions of infant sleep.

Stigmatization and self-perception in children with atopic dermatitis.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is one of the most common skin diseases. Prevalence of AD is highest in childhood. Because of chronicity and often visible lesions, AD may lead to stigmatization and problems with self-perception. However, problems of self-perception and stigmatization in AD children are poorly studied. Literature data on general tendencies of children’s development, clinical course, and epidemiologic tendencies of AD in different age groups make it possible to highlight three main periods in the formation of self-perception and stigmatization. The first period is from early infancy till 3 years of age. The child’s problems in this period depend on parental exhaustion, emotional distress, and security of the mother–child attachment. The child’s AD may form a kind of vicious circle in which severe AD causes parental distress and exhaustion that in turn lead to exacerbation of AD and psychological problems in children. The second period is from 3 till 10 years of age. During this period, development of AD children may be influenced by teasing, bullying, and avoiding by their peers. However, the majority of children in this age group are very optimistic. The third period is from 10 years till adulthood. Problems related to low self-esteem are characteristic during this period. It is important to identify children with AD and their parents who need psychological help and provide them with needs-based consultation and care. Appropriate treatment, medical consultations, and educational programs may help to reduce emotional problems in AD children and their parents.

Maternal mentalization affects mothers’ – but not children’s – weight via emotional eating

ABSTRACTPrevious research on childhood obesity has shown that maternal obesity is an important risk factor for this malady. Because biological and environmental factors are able to explain the transgenerational transmission of obesity only in part, psychological risk factors (e.g., emotional eating) have become more important in recent research. As maternal mentalization – which lays the foundation for the child’s ability to regulate his/her emotions – has not yet been investigated, we examined the effects of mentalization on maternal and childhood obesity. By investigating groups of obese (n = 30) and normal-weight (n = 30) mothers and their children aged 18 to 55 months, we found, contrary to our expectations, that obese mothers’ mentalization (Reflective Functioning Scale) was similar to that of mothers with normal weight and that mentalization showed no direct effect on the child’s weight. However, we found hints of an indirect influence of mentalization via emotional eating on mothers’ but not on children’s weight and via mother–child attachment (Attachment Q-Set) on children’s weight. Possible reasons for these inconclusive effects are discussed.

ANXIETY AND ATTACHMENT TO THE MOTHER IN PRESCHOOLERS RECEIVING PSYCHIATRIC CARE: THE FATHER-CHILD ACTIVATION RELATIONSHIP AS A PROTECTIVE FACTOR.

This 49-family study is the first to explore the father-child relationship in a clinical population of preschoolers (at a tertiary care child psychiatry clinic) and to examine its relation to child anxiety and attachment to the mother. A moderation model of the father-child activation relationship on the relation between attachment to the mother and child anxiety was tested and discussed. Analyses confirmed the expected independence between mother-child attachment and father-child activation as well as the association between mother-child attachment and anxiety. The highest levels of anxiety were found in insecure children, and more specifically, in insecure-ambivalent children and insecure disorganized-controlling children of the caregiving subtype. Hypotheses regarding the relation between anxiety and activation were only partially confirmed. Finally, the activation relationship with the father was shown to have a moderating effect on the relation between attachment to the mother and child anxiety; activation by the father may be considered either a protective or a risk factor. Results for this clinical population of young children are discussed in the light of attachment theory and activation relationship theory. The study's findings have the potential to contribute to the development of preventative, diagnostic, and intervention programs that take both parental figures into account.

Parenting Experience of Mothers with Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Analysis of the Mothers’ Diaries

Background/Objectives: This study was conducted to examine the parenting experience of mothers who have children with autism spectrum disorder. Methods/Statistical Analysis: Colaizzi's (1978) qualitative phenomenological method was used. The research subjects were seven mothers with children under seven years of age who were asked to participate in a mother-child attachment promotion program after their children had been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. The data used in this study were the three-month diaries of the mothers, which were collected from May to June in 2015. Findings: Colaizzi's (1978) analysis method was used to analyze the data. From the analysis of the data for the parenting experience of mothers with autistic children, 6 categories and 12 sub categories were identified. The research participants seemed to find meaning in raising autistic children from the relationships with their autistic children, other children, spouses, family members, and other close people. The parenting experiences of the mothers with autistic children were summarized as difficulty in accepting limits imposed by the disease, discouragement, suffering and the responsibility of a mother, in the family system, appreciation for small changes and hopes and promises for the future. Improvements: Nursing care that can help to improve the quality of life of autistic children, their parents, and other family members is needed.

Mother–child Attachment and Social Withdrawal in Urban Chinese Children

We examined the association between mother–child attachment and social withdrawal in Chinese urban children. Participants in the 1.5-year longitudinal study were 142 Chinese children (74 boys, 68 girls), who were initially aged between 6 and 10 years. Self-reported mother–child attachment style was measured at Time 1 and Time 2. Two subtypes of social withdrawal (i.e., shyness and unsociability) were measured by self-rating and peer nomination at Time 2. Regression analysis showed that attachment style predicted a different subtype of social withdrawal. Early secure and ambivalent attachment were associated negatively and positively, respectively, with self-reported shyness. Current (Time 2) avoidant attachment was positively associated with both self-reported and peer-rated unsociability, whereas current ambivalent attachment was negatively associated with self-reported unsociability. The findings underscore a specific connection between attachment style and social withdrawal subtype.

The Impacts of Parenting Style and Perceived Childhood Attachment on Children’s Concept of God

Background:: Children are first educated in their families. Parents by adapting different parenting styles consciously and in most cases unconsciously teach their children important educational doctrines. Objectives:: This study aimed to determine the impacts of parenting style and perceived childhood attachment on children’s concept of God. In this descriptive correlational study, 375 students of Islamic Azad university of Birjand were selected via multi-stage sampling. Materials and Methods:: The subjects completed the questionnaires related to parenting style, perceived parental attachment, and concept of God. The obtained model was a good fit for the data, and the psychological pattern revealed that controlling parenting style (insecure mother-child attachment) promotes dependence on God and encourages the perception of God as a controller. Also, supportive parenting via forming parent-child attachments (insecure father-child attachment) could predict the child’s view of God as a controller. Results:: Good parenting style was not directly correlated with the perception of God; however, it could improve one’s positive perception of God through increasing or decreasing attachment to parents. In addition, poor and rejecting parenting style both directly and indirectly affects the concept of God by increasing children’s mistrust toward parents and decreasing dependence on God. Conclusions:: Uncaring, rejecting parenting style is more remarkable in decreasing positive attitudes toward God, compared to authoritative parenting style.

Mother-child attachment and social anxiety: Associations with friendship skills and peer competence of Arab children

The goal of the study was to examine the joint and distinct contribution of attachment security and social anxiety to Arab children’s peer competence in middle childhood. We focused on Arab children as very little research has examined close relationships for this group. A sample of 404 third-, fourth- and fifth-grade Arabic students (203 boys and 201 girls), mostly from lower middle-class neighborhoods in northern Israel, participated in the study. In a cross-sectional design, bivariate correlations and regression analyses were performed, and findings revealed that attachment security was negatively related to distancing strategies in help-seeking and help-giving contexts, whereas social anxiety was positively related to these strategies. Secure attachment was also associated with providing reassurance to friends, and with peer competence as perceived by teachers. The possible implications of the socio-cultural context, suggestions for future studies, and implications for school intervention are discussed.

Children's emotion understanding and mother-child attachment: A meta-analysis.

Understanding emotions serves as a critical foundation for several aspects of children's social development. Secure attachment relationships, which allow for open emotion communication between the parent and child, are hypothesized to foster emotion understanding. The goal of the current meta-analysis was to determine the strength of the relationship between emotion understanding and attachment security. We conducted an electronic search using PsycINFO and identified 10 studies (N = 564 children) examining this association in children younger than 18 years of age. The meta-analysis yielded a medium and significant overall effect size of r = .33 with no significant moderators. Thus, our results demonstrated that the association between emotion understanding and security of attachment is quite robust. (PsycINFO Database Record

Impact of maternal mental health on maternal-child interaction in attendees in a community health clinic in Lagos, Nigeria

Background: Maternal mental health, in particular depression, has been found to negatively impact mother-child interaction, attachment, stimulation, growth, and many important aspects of development in the young child. These early deficits if sustained and unattended may have negative immediate and long-term consequences on the outcomes in the child. The study aimed to assess psychological distress and postpartum depression in mothers, and their relationship to the mother-child interaction. Methodology: This is a descriptive clinic-based study. Eligible and consenting mothers are attending the child immunization clinic in the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos, Nigeria participated. Consecutive mothers completed the interview questionnaires independently while those who were not literate had the questionnaires administered by trained interviewers. Instruments used were a sociodemographic proforma, the General Health Questionnaire-12, Mother and Infant Attachment Scale (MIAS), and the Zung Depression Scale. Results: In total, ninety-eight women were enrolled, 66.3% were aged between 26 and 35 years, and mean age of 30.9 years (±5.1 standard deviation). Most were aged between 26 and 35 years (66.3%). Over 90% had at secondary school education or more. Over a 10 th (13.3%) was unemployed and 96% married. The children were aged between 6 weeks and 1 year, males (63.1%), and females (46.9%), and the majority were born by spontaneous vaginal delivery (82.7%). A 10 th (10.2%) of the women had probable psychiatric morbidity, 14.3% had scores suggestive of postpartum depression, and 18 (16.3%) scored below average attachment in interaction with their children on the MIAS. There was an association found between reduced maternal-child attachment interaction and maternal depression (P ≤ 0.05). Conclusions: Emotional disorders, such as depression, in mothers can be associated reduced maternal-child interaction. It is important that integrated mental health care services be offered to women.

Mother–child attachment styles and math and reading skills in middle childhood: The mediating role of children’s exploration and engagement

Research suggests that early mother–child attachment styles are predictive of cognitive skill development in middle childhood. Yet, little work has considered the differential associations of varying attachment styles on reading and math skills in middle childhood, and the mechanisms explaining those relationships across time. Using data from the first three phases of the National Institute of Child and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development, this study examined associations between early mother–child attachment styles and math and reading skill development in middle childhood (i.e., ages 54 months to fifth grade). In addition, using a multilevel mediation approach, we considered children's task engagement and engagement/exploration in the classroom as mechanisms explaining gains in cognitive skills. Findings revealed that insecure/other attachment predicted lower average levels of reading and math skills in fifth grade, while ambivalent attachment was associated with lower average levels of math skills in fifth grade. Children's task engagement partially mediated associations between insecure/other attachment and reading skills, as well as associations between ambivalent attachment and math skills. Task engagement also partially mediated associations between insecure/other attachment and math skills in middle childhood. Implications for attachment theory and educational practice are discussed.

Serial Multiple Mediation of General Belongingness and Life Satisfaction in the Relationship Between Attachment and Loneliness in Adolescents

Attachment is defined as the emotional bond a person builds with someone significant in their lives (Ainsworth, 1969, p. 2; Becker-Weidman & Shell, 2010, p. 1; Bridges, 2003, p. 177). During infancy and childhood, bonds are established with parents (or caregivers) who are looked to for protection, comfort, and help. These bonds are sustained throughout the adolescence and adulthood, but are commonly completed through new bonds with people of the opposite sex (Bowlby, 2012, p. 213). One of these bonds shows up in peer attachment. According to Hazan and Shaver (1994, p. 8), if peers perform the same priority functions as one's parents did during infancy and childhood, and if peers satisfy the individual's same needs for support and safety as their parents did, then after a while, the bond of attachment is expected to be transferred from parents to peers. Ainsworth (1969, p. 2; Bowlby, 2012a, p. 135), on the other hand, emphasized that the attachment builds later, whether to parents or peers, and tends to be sustained; this attachment is not a term that implies a temporary relationship or emotional bond. Namely, an attachment figure and the need for a secure personal base are not limited to children. This need is crucial for adolescents and adults (Bowlby, 2012a, p. 134-135). In this respect, Ainsworth (1969, p. 2) stated that attachment may occur at any age and does not refer to immaturity or helplessness. Similarly, Bowlby (1979, p. 129; 2012, p. 166; 2012b, p. 107) emphasized that any formed attachment tends to sustain, and the attachment is a life-long phenomenon lasting from the cradle to the grave. Thus, attachment begun in infancy was determined to last until young adulthood in a longitudinal study by Waters, Hamilton, and Weinfield (2000). In Fraley's (2002) meta-analysis of the results of longitudinal studies on whether attachment lasts from infancy to adulthood, attachment was found to last until adulthood at a stable medium-level.Bowlby (2012b, p. 14) emphasized that mother-child attachment brings along very powerful affects or emotions like happiness and sadness. Bailham and Harper (2004, p. 49) stated that the interactions between children and their primary caregiver in the first two years of life provide the building blocks for children's relationships. The quality of this relationship in early childhood significantly influences a child's physical, emotional, behavioral, cognitive, and social development. According to Shaver and Mikulincer (2007, p. 652), children being protected and supported in an attachment relationship helps them function better in non-attachment domains, such as exploration, creative thinking, being empathic towards others, and having prosocial behaviors. Bowlby (2012, p. 158-213) emphasized that the capacity to build relationships with others is considered a basic characteristic of effective personality functions and mental health, and that attachment relationships serve a key role for individual survival. Today, there is sound and impressive evidence that the attachment style an individual develops during infancy, childhood, and adulthood is seriously influenced by the parents' (or caregivers') behavior patterns towards the individual (Bowlby, 2012, p. 162). Ainsworth et al.'s (1978) Strange Situation procedure is an example of this (as cited in Bowlby, 2012, p. 218). During this process, children were observed while briefly separated and reunited with their caregivers. In their research, Ainsworth et al.'s (1978) defined three styles of attachment: secure, anxious-resistant, and avoidant. Main and Solomon (as cited in Shorey, 2009, p. 65) later contributed the fourth style: disorganized (Bowlby, 2012, p. 218-219; Shorey, 2009, p. 65). The first is the secure style of attachment. Children develop secure attachments who find themselves in a relationship with their parents that adequately provide sensitive, loving, harmonious, consistent, proper, and accepting care (Howe, 2005, p. …

The Impacts of Parenting Style and Perceived Childhood Attachment on Children’s Concept of God

Background:: Children are first educated in their families. Parents by adapting different parenting styles consciously and in most cases unconsciously teach their children important educational doctrines. Objectives:: This study aimed to determine the impacts of parenting style and perceived childhood attachment on children’s concept of God. In this descriptive correlational study, 375 students of Islamic Azad university of Birjand were selected via multi-stage sampling. Materials and Methods:: The subjects completed the questionnaires related to parenting style, perceived parental attachment, and concept of God. The obtained model was a good fit for the data, and the psychological pattern revealed that controlling parenting style (insecure mother-child attachment) promotes dependence on God and encourages the perception of God as a controller. Also, supportive parenting via forming parent-child attachments (insecure father-child attachment) could predict the child’s view of God as a controller. Results:: Good parenting style was not directly correlated with the perception of God; however, it could improve one’s positive perception of God through increasing or decreasing attachment to parents. In addition, poor and rejecting parenting style both directly and indirectly affects the concept of God by increasing children’s mistrust toward parents and decreasing dependence on God. Conclusions:: Uncaring, rejecting parenting style is more remarkable in decreasing positive attitudes toward God, compared to authoritative parenting style.

The benefits of child-parent psychotherapy to marital satisfaction.

Given the interdependent nature of relationships within the family system, the purpose of this study was to examine the potential role of child-parent psychotherapy (CPP) to extend its positive influence beyond the mother-child relationship within families challenged by maternal depression. Accordingly, we analyzed longitudinal associations between depressive symptoms and marital satisfaction over 3 years in order to evaluate if the benefits of CPP to mother-child attachment security might generalize within the family and indirectly benefit marital relationships. We tested our hypotheses in a randomized control trial of CPP (N = 159 families) to examine the intervention's efficacy in families with mothers with histories of depression since the target child's birth (Mage = 20.4 months, SD = 2.5; 56% boys). Using hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) with an actor-partner interdependence modeling (APIM) framework, the results supported our hypothesis as well as revealed significant associations between depressive symptoms and marital functioning. Specifically, shifts in mothers' depressive symptoms within specific waves of follow-up were associated with corresponding shifts in both their husbands' and their own relationship satisfaction in those same waves. After controlling for those effects, only mothers with a history of depression who received CPP demonstrated slight improvements in relationship satisfaction over the 3 years of the study, suggesting secondary benefits of CPP within the family system. Results are discussed in terms of the importance of examining therapeutic processes within the larger family system. Concerning future research, we also suggest examining potential mechanisms through which CPP might influence marital satisfaction. (PsycINFO Database Record

Early Full-Time Day Care, Mother–Child Attachment, and Quality of the Home Environment in Chile: Preliminary Findings

ABSTRACTResearch Findings: Two longitudinal studies are reported examining the effects of full-time day care in Mapuche and non-Mapuche families in Chile. First, the Magellan-Leiden Childcare Study (MLCS) used a sample of 95 mothers with children younger than 1 year old (n = 36 in day care). Second, we partially cross-validated our results in a large and representative sample of 10,723 mothers and their children from the Chilean Encuesta Longitudinal de la Primera Infancia (Early Childhood Longitudinal Survey). In both studies, the quality of care for children provided at home was measured with the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment. In the MLCS study, additional indicators of the mother–child relationship were measured. Day care was not negatively associated with the mother–child relationship and maternal sensitivity, compared to maternal care, or with the quality of the home environment. Positive changes in attachment security were found in Mapuche children who attended day care centers. Practice or Policy: We were able to confirm that type of care was not differentially associated with quality of the home environment.