Parental Attachment Relationships Research Articles

Associations between externalizing behavior problems and risky sexual behaviors in adolescence: Attachment as a mediator.

Risky sexual behaviors in adolescence are associated with negative health and psychological functioning outcomes. Although the association between behavior problems and risky sexual behaviors is well established, addressing these problems requires understanding the mechanisms that help explain this association. Adolescent attachment, while related to risky sexual behavior, has not been extensively explored as an outcome of childhood externalizing problems. The two objectives of this study were to explore the links between parental and peer attachment and risky sexual behaviors and to examine the mediating effect of attachment on the links between behavior problems and risky sexual behaviors. Five hundred and ninety-eight French-Canadian adolescents (46.2% girls), Mage at T1 = 13.23; Mage at T2 = 14.28; Mage at T3 = 17.35) participated in this longitudinal study. The quality of parental attachment at T2 was significantly and negatively associated with risky sexual behaviors 3 years later, at T3. More specifically, a lower quality parental attachment relationship was associated with having nonexclusive partners as well as with inconsistent condom use. Finally, parental attachment (T2) was a significant mediator between behavior problems (T1) and risky sexual behaviors (T3), but only for younger adolescents. Findings suggest that in addition to behavior problems in adolescence, the quality of parental attachment relationships may help in understanding risky sexual behaviors in adolescence.

Parent Attachment relationships and aggressive tendencies during early years in Kenya

There are reported cases of relational aggression among learners at public pre-schools in Kenya, however, very scanty research has been done in this regard. The study examined parent attachment relationships and aggressive tendencies among learners during early years in Kenya. Ex-post facto research design was adopted. The sample size consisted of 348 pre-school learners and 277 parents obtained by using the simple random sampling technique. The Parent-child Attachment and Aggressive Tendencies Questionnaires were used to collect data from parents. Construct validity was ensured by the researchers in psychology and early childhood education. Cronbach’s alpha was used to establish the reliability of the questionnaires and the subscales had alpha of between 0.7 to 0.9. The results indicated a strong negative correlation (n=68; r = -.827; p < 0.05) between secure attachment and aggressive tendencies; weak (n=80; r =.248; p=.026), positive correlation between parent-child ambivalent attachment and aggressive tendencies; a fairly strong positive correlation (n=40; r =.684; p < 0.05) between parent-child disorganized attachment and aggressive tendencies and a weak positive correlation [n=48; r =.043; p =.772 between avoidant attachment and aggressive tendencies. The study recommends that teacher counselors should ensure early screening for those with vulnerable attachments.

The Effect of Parental Attachment on Risky Alcohol Use and Disordered Eating Behaviors in College Students

Alcohol use and disordered eating behaviors (DEB) are prevalent among college students. Despite the pervasive influence of a peer culture that promotes and supports drinking and consistent dieting, parents continue to be a primary source of influence for young adults. Young adult college student attachment to their parents may have an important influence on college student alcohol use behaviors and DEBs. The present study examined the effect of parental attachment relationships, DEBs, and alcohol use behaviors for college students. Findings indicate that parent attachment had a significant and negative effect on alcohol use behavior and DEBs. Clinical implications for the treatment of college student substance use and disordered eating are presented and discussed.

Disordered eating among college students: The effects of parental attachment and the mediating role of emotion dysregulation

Objectives The current study explored the relationship between parental attachment and disordered eating among college students. This study also explored the potential mediating role of factors associated with emotion regulation. Participants: One hundred sixty-seven undergraduates (M = 18.93 years, SD = 1.02) participated in the current study. Methods: Participants completed an anonymous questionnaire reporting their perceptions of their parental attachment relationships, emotional reactivity, difficulty regulating emotions, and disordered eating. Results: Analyses using structural equation modeling indicated that difficulty regulating emotions mediated the relationship between maternal attachment and disordered eating, but not between paternal attachment and disordered eating. Emotional reactivity did not emerge as a significant mediator. Conclusions: These findings suggest that maternal attachment relationships may be associated with difficulty regulating emotions in adulthood, which may in turn impact disordered eating attitudes and behaviors.

Children in the digital world: exploring the role of parental–child attachment features in excessive online gaming

PurposeThe marketing of immersive and competitive online gaming products has proliferated in recent times. Consumption has also shown a substantial increase, especially among children. Such elevated levels of gaming have adversely affected children’s overall well-being. This paper aims to examine the role of parental attachment variables in enhancing children’s self-control behavior in counteracting the adverse effects of excessive gaming. The role of gender in excessive gaming is also studied.Design/methodology/approachA conceptual framework is tested that examines the direct relationship of features of parental attachment with excessive online gaming behavior and an indirect effect through the mediation of a child’s self-control construct using structural equation modeling.FindingsThe findings indicate that parental attachment through self-control can play a significant role in limiting excessive gaming behavior among vulnerable young gamers. Excessive gaming behavior was more pronounced for boys than girls. Alienation explained excessive gaming behavior among girls, while communication was significant for boys, but in a reversed direction.Research limitations/implicationsAll possible antecedent variables from the literature, like parental rearing style, that may further contribute to developing a comprehensive theoretical framework could not be studied.Practical implicationsThe study suggests that the priming of children achieved through parental attachment relationships may help prevent excessive gaming behavior among vulnerable young gamers.Originality/valueThis study addresses the gap in the understanding of parental attachment features related to excessive gaming among different genders. It also establishes the role of the intervening mechanism of a child’s self-control in regulating behavior in relation to excessive gaming in the Indian context.

Preliminary Characterization of Parent-Child Interaction in Preschoolers With Prader-Willi Syndrome: The Relationship Between Engagement and Parental Stress.

Early parent-child interactions (PCI) impact social cognitive development. Relatedly, children with various developmental disorders exhibit abnormal parental attachment relationships. Parental characteristics and behaviors can impact PCI and socioemotional development as well. No research has examined the parent-child dynamic in Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS), a neurodevelopmental disorder that presents with social cognitive deficits. This article provides a preliminary characterization of PCI quality and parenting stress in 17 PWS parent-child dyads, children ages 3-5 years, in comparison to 20 typically developing children and their parent. Results suggest early PCI disruption in preschoolers with PWS and their parents report increased levels of stress in various domains. These findings have important implications not only on parent well-being in PWS but its impact on child development.

Od wczesnych zwiastunów autyzmu po przywiązanie – rozwój relacji społecznych dzieci ze spektrum autyzmu w kontaktach z bliskimi

Autism is a vast developmental disorder with significant delays and problems in participation in alternate social interactions. Studies show that nearly half of the population with various forms of autism participates in social life, although their profile of emotional and social deficits remains highly diversified. Impairment within a social sphere includes a limited disposition and ability to recognize, to understand and to engage in human contact and interpersonal communication. Parents /guardians are the first observers of disturbing behaviors of a child and the first initiators of building a close relationship with their offspring. Their observations are the determinants of the criteria of early detection of autism spectrum disorders. The biggest problem for parents is the inability of their children with autism to show affection. The goal of this article is to show the development profile of social relationships of young children with autism in contacts with their relatives and the analysis of conditions in the child – parent attachment relationship in this group of disorders.

A review of literature: An examination of the correlation between attachment styles and adolescent girls’ sexual behaviors

ABSTRACTThis literature review examines eight studies of parental attachment styles, sexual behavior, and health outcomes among adolescent girls. The review focuses on studies that analyzed the perceived relationships between parents and their adolescent daughters and whether instabilities of life experiences correlated with risky sexual behaviors and if high-risk sexual behaviors were associated with an increase of sexually transmitted infections, unplanned pregnancies, and other poor health outcomes in adolescent girls. Findings show adolescent girls with insecure parental attachment styles were at a higher risk of sexual behaviors, early pregnancies, and transmission of sexually transmitted infections (STI’s). The most common finding in the studies reviewed was the significant association of how higher parental communication and monitoring may prevent risky sexual behaviors at an earlier age. Recommendations for mental and health care providers include the development of treatment programs to address the importance of parent-attachment relationships and multifaceted health needs of adolescents girls. Programs can be strengthened by involving other family members, improving parent-daughter communication and relationships and emphasizing system-level change (policy, procedure, practice). Adding these elements may ultimately lead to sustained improvements over time. Future research on other family social factors (e.g., divorce and separation of attachment figure, poverty, and single-parent homes) associated with attachment and high-risk behaviors is warranted. More research is needed to exam how secure attachments among adolescent girls may prevent earlier sexual encounters, unplanned pregnancies, and STI’s.

Ghosts, tigers and landmines in the nursery: Attachment narratives of loss in Tamil refugee children with dead or missing fathers.

To build an account of how bereaved Tamil refugee and asylum seeker children, resettled in Australia, had processed the loss of their dead or missing fathers. Phenomenological and discourse analysis was applied to attachment narratives of nine children (aged 11-17 years) and their surviving mothers in families that lost fathers in war-related circumstances. The narratives were analysed through the lens of Crittenden's Dynamic-Maturational Model of Attachment and Adaptation (DMM) and Klass' cross-cultural model of grief. Two divergent pathways - 'burying the past' and 'reifying the past' - emerged, encompassing the children's contrasting patterns of information processing regarding loss and trauma (dismissing or preoccupying) and representation of the past (distant-buried or rich-reconstructed). Each pathway reflected a strategic compromise between the constraints and resources presented to the child by the circumstances of the loss (ambiguous or confirmed), the response of their surviving parent (stricken or stoic) and the collective narrative surrounding the loss (silenced or valorised). The DMM's conceptualisation of attachment as self-protective strategies for navigating danger was helpful in explaining the contrasting adaptations of refugee children to loss and trauma. However, to understand the multivalent meanings of these adaptations, there was a need to situate child-parent attachment relationships within the wider sociocultural reconfigurations arising from contexts of political violence.

Early Attachment Network with Mother and Father: An Unsettled Issue

AbstractInfants’ patterns of attachment to their mothers and fathers influence important developmental outcomes. Studies suggest that infants form discordant attachment patterns to mothers and fathers, and stress the importance of assessing infants’ parental attachment relationships to evaluate their integrative effects on how they function later in life. However, such studies are few, based on small samples, and not well‐designed longitudinally. Moreover, mixed results on how infants’ attachment patterns to mothers and fathers affect important developmental outcomes have resulted in theoretical inconsistencies regarding the model that best describes the organization of multiple attachment relationships and their effect on later development. In this article, we review research on the unsettled issue of infants’ network of attachment to mothers and fathers, and propose explanatory models that can be tested empirically; the methods we suggest are more robust and innovative than those that have been used traditionally.

Four‐model approach to adolescent–parent attachment relationships and adolescents' loneliness, school belonging, and teacher appraisal

AbstractThis study tested monotropy, hierarchy, independence, and integration conceptual models of adolescent–mother and adolescent–father attachment to explain adolescents' perceived social interrelationships with extrafamilial attachment figures (peers, teachers). Participants included 356 Israeli adolescents (12–15 years). More adolescents were significantly classified as securely attached to mothers than to fathers, but high concordances emerged. Results supported two of the attachment models, hierarchy and integration, as explaining variation in adolescents' perceived extrafamilial interrelationships. As per the hierarchy attachment model, adolescent–mother attachment outweighed adolescent–father attachment to some extent in predicting adolescents' perceived social interrelationship measures. As per the integration attachment model, significant differences emerged on most social interrelationship measures between the 4 distinct subgroups: secure attachment to both parents, neither, only father, only mother. The Discussion section focuses on the unique importance of attachment to each parent for typically developing junior high students.

Pre-adolescents’ representations of multiple attachment relationships: the role of perceived teacher interpersonal behaviour

Attachment theory proposes that early parent–child relationships provide the basis for all future close relationships of the individual, through childhood and adolescence into later life. The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between parental attachment, peer attachment and students’ perceptions of their teacher’s interpersonal behaviour, in order to shed light on the channels through which these constructs relate. In doing so, we examined three proposed theoretical schemes of pre-adolescents’ representations of multiple relationships. As a side-goal, the psychometric properties of the Greek translations of the Revised Inventory of Parental and Peer Attachment (IPPA-R) and the Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction (QTI-G) were investigated. Two independent samples comprising 270 and 306 pre-adolescents (grades 5–7), respectively participated in the study. Results supported a four-factor structure of the IPPA-R and an elliptical shape for the Interpersonal Teacher Circle measured by the QTI-G. The integrative scheme regarding pre-adolescents’ multiple adult relationships was supported by the data. Parental attachment relationships were found to be an important determinant of students’ perceptions of their teacher interpersonal behaviour, which in turn mediated the relationship between parental and peer attachment relationships. Results are discussed in terms of their theoretical and practical implications.

Examining the Relationship Between Attachment Behaviors and College Student Health and Wellness

In a recent study presented at the annual conference of the American Psychological Association, Dr. John Guthman noted that there has been a steady growth in the number of students seeking counseling services for more severe psychological problems on college and university campuses in the United States (Nauert, 2010). He postulated that one possible reason for this trend may be that an increasing number of students are coming to campus socially isolated and not connected to any individual or group. Indeed, previous researchers have suggested that two constructs integral to successful college adjustment are continuing parental attachment and social support (Moller, Fouladi, McCarthy, & Hatch, 2003). Although the existing literature has shown a strong link between adult attachment and mental and physical health, Raque-Bogdan, Ericson, Jackson, Martin, and Bryan (2011) stated that little is known about the factors and mechanisms underlying these relationships. In this issue of the Journal of College Counseling, several researchers attempt to fill this gap by exploring possible constructs related to college student attachment. In the opening article, Chia-Chih DC Wang and colleagues used adult attachment theory and cognitive appraisal theory to examine how college students react to romantic infidelity scenarios. In their study, both attachment and cognitive appraisal mediated the effects of attachment on behavioral and emotional reactions. Their work provides college counselors with a better understanding of how clients' attachment styles and cognitive processes may affect their experiences and reactions when faced with a romantic partner's act of infidelity. Keisha Love and Tamera Murdock examined a mediational path model containing parental attachment, cognitive working models, and depression. They hypothesized that cognitive working models of the self and others would mediate the relationship between parental attachment and depression among African American college students. Their results lend support for the use of parental attachment relationships as a predictor of depression and provide direction for counselors working with these clients in their daily practice. Jeffrey Ashby and colleagues examined the relationship between adaptive and maladaptive perfectionism, stress, depression, and satisfaction with life in a sample of undergraduate women. The increasing number of college students who report seeking counseling services for the distress caused by perfectionism make this a timely contribution to the college counseling literature. In addition to providing evidence for a reexamination of the association between adaptive perfectionism, stress, and possible related outcomes, Ashby and colleagues also provide additional support for the mediating role stress plays in the association of maladaptive perfectionism with decreased positive and increased negative outcomes. …

Experiences of dyadic sport friendships as a function of self and partner attachment characteristics

Objectives To examine the link between adolescent–parent attachment relationships and experiences of friendship quality in the context of the Actor–Partner Interdependence Model. Design and method One hundred and ninety three male adolescents involved in team sports completed self-report assessments of relationship security with a key parental attachment figure and of the nature of their friendship with a nominated sporting best friend. In 40 reciprocal best friend dyads friendship quality perceptions were examined as a consequence of attachment characteristics of both the self and one’s best friend. Results Results provided evidence that the nature of the adolescent–parent attachment relationship was significantly related to sporting friendship experiences. More secure adolescent–parent attachment characteristics corresponded to more positive sporting friendships. Furthermore, adolescents’ perceptions of the quality of dyadic sporting friendships were apparently constructed not only as a function of their own attachment characteristics but also of the attachment characteristics of their best friend. Conclusion There is a suggestion that adolescent perceptions of dyadic sporting friendships are constructed as a consequence of both actor and partner attachment characteristics.

Adolescent–parent attachment characteristics and quality of youth sport friendship

Objectives To examine the link between security of adolescent–parent attachment relationships and experiences of friendship quality in male team sport participants. Design and method Ninety six male adolescents involved in team sports completed self-report assessments of relationship security with a key parental attachment figure and of the nature of their friendship with a nominated sporting best friend. Teammates and coaches also provided ratings related to how easy they found it to get along with participants. Results Results provided evidence that the nature of the adolescent–parent attachment relationship was significantly related to sporting friendship experiences. More secure adolescent–parent attachment characteristics corresponded to more positive sporting friendships. Furthermore, sporting friendship dyads where both friends reported more secure attachment relations with parents were experienced more positively than dyads where both friends were less securely attached to parents or even where one friend was less securely attached. Conclusion There is a suggestion that adolescent attachment relations with parents are indicative of underpinning working models of attachment that may subsequently influence the manner in which youngsters negotiate friendships in sporting contexts.

Clinical Interventions for Children With Attachment Problems

Applying the current evidence to treating clinical populations with attachment disorders. This study aims to review the literature regarding the treatment of childhood attachment disorders, with the goal of guiding clinicians towards evidence-based practice. MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsychBooks, EMBASE and PsychINFO were searched and all articles reporting results of a treatment intervention for attachment disorder were reviewed. Ancestry analysis garnered additional sources. There are few studies addressing therapeutic interventions for attachment disorder, but the literature supports benefits to the child-parent attachment relationship in biological families in the application of both psychoeducational and psychotherapeutic treatment modalities. A summary of the important components of applying these techniques in therapy is included. Foster and adoptive families with attachment disorders require different types of intervention than biological families. In particular, foster and adoptive parents need to help repair their child's negative internal representations by responding appropriately to their child's cues. Advanced practice psychiatric nurses are well-prepared to provide evidence-based interventions to both biological and foster families with attachment problems. More research is needed to determine the most appropriate treatment interventions for children with attachment disorders.

Relationships Between Parental Attachment, Work and Family Roles, and Life Satisfaction

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between parental attachment and satisfaction with work and family roles, as well as the relationship of these variables to life satisfaction. Results from a multiple regression analysis indicated that satisfaction with work and marriage, but not parenting satisfaction or parental attachment, was significantly related to life satisfaction. Responses to open‐ended questions indicated that parental attachment relationships affected participants' career, marriage, parenting, and life satisfaction in varied and complex ways. Implications for counselors and directions for future research are discussed.

Marital behavior and the security of preschooler–parent attachment relationships.

Marital behavior and the security of preschooler–parent attachment relationships.

Interventions with video feedback and attachment discussions: Does type of maternal insecurity make a difference?

Parents' insecure representations of attachment are associated with lower parental sensitivity and insecure infant–parent attachment relationships, leading to less optimal conditions for the children's socio-emotional development. Therefore, two types of short-term intervention were implemented in a group of lower middle-class mothers with an insecure representation of attachment as assessed with the Adult Attachment Interview. In one group of mothers, the intervention efforts were directed at promoting maternal sensitivity by means of written information about sensitive parenting and personal video feedback. In the other group, additional discussions about the mothers' early attachment experiences took place, aiming at affecting the mothers' attachment representation. The interventions were implemented during four home visits between the 7th and the 10th month after the baby's birth. Preliminary results on 30 mothers pointed at an intervention effect: Mothers in both intervention groups were more sensitive at 13 months than mothers in a control group, t(28) = −2.3, effect size d = .87, p = .01. Mothers who were classified as insecure dismissing tended to profit most from video feedback, whereas mothers who were classified as insecure preoccupied tended to profit most from video feedback with additional discussions about their childhood attachment experiences, F(1,16) = 1.9, d = .65, p = .19. © 1998 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health

Marital conflict and the development of infant–parent attachment relationships.

Couples were studied before and after the birth of their 1st child to understand processes by which marital conflict influences child development. Hypotheses were tested concerning direct and indirect processes relating marital conflict to the security of infant-mother and infant-father attachment and disorganized attachment behavior. Findings supported the prediction that chronic marital conflict interferes with sensitive, involved parenting and thereby predicts insecurity in attachment relationships, particularly for fathers. It was also argued that chronic marital conflict presents the infant with experiences of frightened or frightening parents and diminished behavioral options to alleviate accompanying distress. As predicted, disorganized attachment behavior with mother and father was explained by chronic marital conflict and not mediated by parental ego development or sensitive parenting. Marital conflict has been identified as a risk factor that increases the probability of many adjustment problems in children, including both externalizing disorders, such as noncompliance and aggression, and internalizing disorders (Emery, 1982; Holden & Ritchie, 1991; Jouriles, Pfifmer, & O'Leary, 1988; Margolin, 1981; Markman & Leonard, 1985; Rutter, 1994). These studies have clearly established the link between marital conflict and child disorder; however, little has been done to illuminate the mechanisms by which marital discord influences children. In addition, most of the research has been done with older children; there has been little consideration of the impact of marital conflict on infants. In the research reported here, we examined two probable processes in a study of the linkages between marital conflict and infant-parent attachment. We tested the hypothesis that marital conflict is associated with insecure infant-parent attachment as a result of its association with less sensitive, active, and accepting parenting (see Crockenberg & Covey, 1991), and we also examined direct effects of marital conflict on disorganization in attachment behaviors. We studied these linkages both for infant-mother attachment and for infant-father attachment.