Strange Situation Research Articles

Associations of maternal sensitivity and embodied mentalizing with infant-mother attachment security at one year in depressed and non-depressed dyads

ABSTRACT Parental Embodied Mentalizing (PEM) captures the parent’s capacity to extrapolate the child’s mental states from movement and respond on a nonverbal level. Little is known about PEM’s relation to other established measures of parent-child interactive behavior, such as maternal sensitivity and attachment. This is investigated in a sample of four months old infants and mothers with (n = 27) and without a diagnosis of postpartum depression (n = 44). Video-recorded infant-mother interactions were coded independently using PEM and Coding Interactive Behavior. Attachment was assessed at 13 months using the Strange Situation Procedure. Sensitivity and PEM was positively associated, but only sensitivity predicted attachment security and only the nonclinical group. This indicates that PEM and sensitivity are moderately related as well as capturing different aspects of infant-mother interactions. The study confirms previous findings of sensitivity predicting attachment in nonclinical groups. More research is required to further understand predictors of attachment in clinical samples.

Predictive and Incremental Validity of Parental Representations During Pregnancy on Child Attachment.

Parental pre-natal representations predict the interactive patterns that parents will put in place after childbirth. Early interactions defined by high parental emotional availability (EA) influence the development of security in children. To date, research on the predictive role of parental pre-natal representations on child attachment is still poor. Moreover, investigations on pre-natal representations have mainly focused on mothers. This study aimed at: investigating the criterion validity of the Interview of Maternal Representations During Pregnancy-Revised (IRMAG-R) and of the Interview of Paternal Representations During Pregnancy (IRPAG), using EA, parental attachment, and child attachment toward both parents, as criteria; testing the incremental validity of the IRMAG-R and IRPAG in the prediction of child attachment, controlling for other covariates, such as depressive and anxious levels during pregnancy, EA, and parental attachment; evaluating the possible mediation role of EA on the relationship between parental representations during pregnancy and child attachment. Fifty couples of primiparous parents were recruited during pregnancy, when the IRMAG-R and IRPAG were administered to mothers and fathers. At 6–9 months after childbirth, the mother–child and father–child interactions were coded by means of the EA Scales (EAS). At 14–18 after childbirth, the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) was administered to parents, and the Strange Situation Procedure (SSP) was carried out to assess children's attachment toward mothers and fathers, respectively. The results showed significant correlations between parental pre-natal representations and EA, parental attachment and child attachment. As regards the prediction of child attachment, the IRMAG-R/IRPAG categories showed: a significant and large unique contribution for maternal representations; a close to be significant contribution for paternal representations (with a higher effect size for mothers than fathers). Moreover, while the indirect effect of pre-natal representations in the prediction of child attachment was not significant for mothers, it was instead significant for fathers. The results of this study confirmed the criterion validity of the IRMAG-R and IRPAG, and supported the incremental validity of the IRMAG-R and IRPAG in the prediction of children's attachment categories. Finally, the mediation models revealed that EA did not mediate the relationship between maternal pre-natal representations and child attachment, while it totally mediated the relationship between paternal pre-natal representations and child attachment.

Personality Traits and Owner-Dog Attachment in a Canadian Sample

Abstract Much of the literature on owner-dog attachment and the influence of personality on the owner-dog relationship has originated in Europe, with few studies in North America. To address this imbalance, 29 owner-dog dyads from a Canadian population were tested in the Strange Situation Test (SST) and owners completed assessments of their own personalities (NEO-FFI-3), the personalities of their dogs (MCPQ-R), and their level of attachment to their dogs (DAQ). Attachment scores were comparable to those in previous research, and all owner-dog dyads were deemed to be securely attached. However, no predicted “matching” of seemingly analogous personality traits (e.g., human and dog Neuroticism) was found, and there was no relationship between dog personality and attachment behaviours during the SST. In contrast, owners with higher Extraversion scores initiated more contact with their dogs in the first reunion episode of the SST (following separation). Owners scoring low on Openness and/or Neuroticism had dogs with higher scores for Training Focus, suggesting that these dogs could more easily attend to a calm, stable owner. Owners who scored high in Openness had dogs with lower Amicability scores, possibly indicating more tolerance of a less desirable dog trait by such owners. Differences between the findings of this study and those conducted in Europe suggest that more emphasis should be given to the possible impact of cultural variation on the behaviours of and perceived relationships between owners and their dogs.

Emotion Co-Regulation Among Mother-Preschooler Dyads Completing the Strange Situation: Relations to Internalizing and Externalizing Symptoms

Emotion co-regulation between parents and children has recently emerged as a powerful correlate of children’s psychosocial adjustment. However, most studies on this topic have focused exclusively on parents’ responses to children’s negative emotion displays. The current study employed a dynamic systems approach (State Space Grid) to mothers’ moment-by-moment positive and negative emotion co-regulation with their preschoolers prior to and following a stressor to the relationship (a separation within a standardized paradigm, the Strange Situation Procedure [SSP]). This study combined newly coded behavioral data from video archives of the 36-month SSP with secondary data from one site of the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development. There were 80 mother–child dyads in the study with the majority of mothers being Caucasian (81.3%), married (72.7%), and having a college education or higher (78.9%). Hierarchical regressions were conducted to test the predictors of 36-month positive/negative emotion co-regulation and its relationships with children’s 54-month internalizing and externalizing symptoms after adjusting for covariates in this longitudinal study. The results revealed that 24-month infant attachment security predicted higher 36-month positive and lower negative emotion co-regulation following the separation. Further, children in dyads with higher post-separation positive co-regulation and lower negative emotion co-regulation at 36 months had lower internalizing symptoms at 54 months. Lastly, 36-month post-separation positive/negative emotion co-regulation mediated the relationship between 24-month infant attachment security and internalizing symptoms at 54 months. The results highlight the unique contribution of positive/negative emotion co-regulation following stress for children’s adjustment.

A strange situation indeed: Fostering leader–follower attachment security during unprecedented crisis

PurposeWe discuss how attachment theory can help leaders maintain security in their relationships with followers during crisis, using the COVID-19 worldwide pandemic as an example. We describe how the COVID-19 pandemic has undermined the typical ways leaders may have fostered secure relationships with their followers. Guided by Lewin's action research paradigm, we integrate research on attachment theory with recent research on the COVID-19 pandemic to present leader interventions to maintain attachment security in spite of the disruption caused by COVID-19. We then discuss how these propositions can guide leader interventions in other types of crisis.Design/methodology/approachAttachment theory has received considerable attention in recent years from management and leadership scholars. We extend this line of inquiry by drawing parallels between the strange situation, a now classic paradigm for researching infant–caregiver attachment systems, to understand attachment security in leader–follower relationships during times of crisis.FindingsWe find that the crises such as COVID-19 present a challenge to attachment security in leader–follower relationships. We also find that research on adult attachment in response to crises and traumatic events is relevant to understanding how leaders can foster positive relations with followers during times of crisis when physical proximity is not possible.Originality/valueWe apply attachment theory and leadership research to present a framework for leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic; however, many of our theoretical assertions and related interventions could be applied to other unprecedented crises that disrupt leader–follower relationships. Hence, our paper offers a unique lens that is centered on the attachment security within the leader–follower relationship during crisis.

COVID – 19 and Gravid Mothers

Human history is observing a very horrible and strange situation fighting a very small enemy. The Novel COVID-19 corona virus. On 11 feb 2020 world health organization has declared a name for covid disorder and has said covid as a global public health diease and also as a pandemic due to its worldwide spread. It started as an outbreak in december with its birth place in wuhan people of china has came out as a global public health exigency of worldwide trouble. Corona virus are the group of virus with non segmented, single stranded and positive sence RNA genome. In this narrative review article, reference was taken from different article published in various database. Maximum article including the information of pregnancy and covid-19 were reviewed. A review of 11article with world health organization site information it is found that the symptoms of corona virus disease in non-pregnant occurred indistinguishable to that of gravid mother. There is no information regarding perinatal transmission in parturiency. It has been disclosed that corona virus can cause distress in gravid mother, miscarriage and also fetal distress. In general due to lack of relevant information regarding the effect of corona virus disease on gravidity it is obligatory to have more and more studies in this area.

Attachment insecurity in infants with infantile spasms: Maternal anxiety and sadness, and infant's temperament outweigh disease severity

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to investigate attachment behavior in a population of infants with infantile spasms (ISs) using the Strange Situation Procedure (SSP) and to explore factors associated with the infants' attachment behavior. MethodsThe SSP was assessed in a population of 29 children with ISs during the second year of life. In mothers, we assessed anxiety, depression, maternal emotions, and perception of the temperament of the child, and sociodemographic characteristics. In children, we assessed epilepsy characteristics, response to antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) at the time of the SSP, and the child's outcome at 3 years of age, in terms of intellectual disability (ID), and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). ResultsInsecure attachment was higher than in the general population (68% versus 32%). It was associated with maternal anxiety, sadness, and maternal representation of the child at 12 months but with none of the child characteristics including ID, ASD, response to AEDs, or ISs etiology. SignificanceNonspecific dimensions were more important than disease characteristics for the infants' attachment behavior. In conclusion, we propose that interventions targeting mother–child interaction could prevent attachment insecurity and the developmental consequences of early epilepsy.

Treating Externalizing Behaviors in Toddlers with ASD Traits Using Parent-Child Interaction Therapy for Toddlers: A Case Study

Up to 27% of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience clinically significant externalizing behavior. Child emotional dysregulation is thought to be one of the main reasons for the manifestation of externalizing behaviors during toddlerhood and has also been associated with insecure and disorganized parent-child attachment relationships. Parent-Child Interaction Therapy for Toddlers (PCIT-T) is an attachment and behavioral based parent training program targeted at children aged 12 to 24 months with externalizing behavior. This study assessed the effectiveness of PCIT-T in reducing child externalizing behavior as well as improving child emotional regulation and the parent-child attachment relationship in a child with moderate-to-severe ASD traits, low intellectual and adaptive functioning, externalizing behaviors within the clinical range, and a disorganized/insecure mother-child attachment relationship. The intervention occurred over a 12-week period and focused on improving positive parenting skills, parent emotional regulation, and child emotional regulation. Treatment progress was tracked using the Child Behavior Checklist Externalizing Behavior subscale, the Deverux Early Childhood Assessment for Toddlers Attachment/Relationship and Self-Regulation subscales, the Dyadic Parent-Child Interaction Coding System, version 4, and the Strange Situation Procedure. Study results provide preliminary support for the use of PCIT-T in reducing externalizing behavior, improving the parent-child attachment relationship and child emotional regulation. These results indicate that PCIT-T can be beneficial for children with ASD traits, however, further research with a larger sample size is needed to strength these findings.

Does training style affect the human-horse relationship? Asking the horse in a separation–reunion experiment with the owner and a stranger

Humans have shared a long history with horses and today we mainly consider horses as companions for sports and leisure activities. Previously, the human perspective of the human-horse relationship has been investigated but there has been little focus on the horse’s perspective. This study aimed to reveal whether horses show attachment-related behaviour towards the owner compared to a stranger in a modified Strange Situation Procedure (SSP) consisting of a walking phase, a standing still phase, separation from the owner/stranger and lastly a reuinon. We tested 26 privately owned horses in an indoor experimental area of 20 × 14 m. In addition to testing, the owners were asked questions about their training methods. Based on these questionnaire results, owners were divided into groups depending on whether they mainly used negative reinforcement, positive reinforcement or a combination of both methods during training. They also completed a horse personality questionnaire. The results showed that the horses spent more time in door proximity when separated from the owner and the stranger (owner: Z = −3.46, P = 0.001; stranger: Z = 3.40, P = 0.001) compared to the reunion phase, and they sought human proximity during reunion. The horses’ heart rates were higher during the separation compared to the reunion with both the owner (Z = −3.44, P = 0.001) and the stranger (Z = −2.40, P = 0.016). These results are examples of attachment-related features and suggest that horses consider both the owner and the stranger as a safe haven. However, the results are not clear as to whether or not horses perceive their owners as a secure base since their exploratory behaviour during owner reunion was similar to that during stranger reunion. Interestingly, horses trained with positive reinforcement spent most time in door proximity during separation from the stranger (χ2(2) = 6.18, P = 0.045) and similarly there was a tendency also during owner separation (χ2(2) = 5.20, P = 0.074). The same group of horses also spent more time in stranger proximity (χ2(2) = 6.16, P = 0.046) and in physical contact with stranger (χ2(2) = 8.62, P = 0.013) than the other two training style groups during reunion. When correlating scores from the horse personality questionnaire with behaviours during owner reunion, we found few significant associations, but the trait Inquisitive correlated with both proximity to owner and ears forward (rs = 0.41, P = 0.035 and rs = 0.49, P = 0.011, respectively), and ears forward also correlated with the trait Excitability (rs = 0.39, P = 0.047) and Dominance (rs = 0.46, P = 0.019). Hence, this study revealed attachment-related behaviours of horses towards humans even though the results cannot resolve whether these fulfil all criteria for an attachment-bond.

The dangers of controlling memes through copyright law

Intertextuality plays a great role in the production and comprehension of various forms of humorous expressions, such as parodies and memes. The latter often rely on previous facts, images, videos, statements etc., to express a certain comic idea. Nowadays, memes and parodic videos are not just made by comedians, but also by ordinary people on social networks, mostly using images, videos and gifs found in search engines like Google. However, attempts at regulating the use of such materials, particularly from the point of view of copyright, threaten the freedom of this sort of humorous expression. The article discusses a case from Brazil in 2017, when the then President Michel Temer tried to stop the unauthorised use of his image in the creation of memes, stating that the pictures in the Presidency’s website were available for journalistic purposes only, and any other use needed the government’s consent. This strange situation, that could give the president the power of approving the satire made at his expense, was itself the subject of various memes, which ultimately forced the government to step back. The article then discusses similar risks of a directive recently approved by the European Parliament, which, under the flag of protecting copyright, may have a controversial chilling effect in the creation of memes and satiric videos.

Infantilizing Companion Animals through Attachment Theory: Why Shift to Behavioral Ecology-Based Paradigms for Welfare

Abstract Attachment theory, proposed in the 1950s to understand the development of parent-child relationships, is often applied to human–companion animal relationships. I argue the application of this paradigm to test nonhuman animals’ social bonds with humans infantilizes mature animals and has a detrimental impact on animal welfare. The premise is that Ainsworth’s Strange Situation Test is inappropriate to investigate the emotional ties between domestic animals and humans. Instead, I propose an alternative theory, that dogs form mature social bonds with their guardians, and that the phenomenon known as separation anxiety is the result either of the frustration of mature adult group behaviors, or an overdependency fostered by the guardian. Rather than view mature dogs as comparable to human infants in their social relationships, we should perceive them as socially and emotionally mature at adulthood and shift the focus from attachment-based paradigms to the behavioral ecology and cognition of companion animals.

Childbirth Experience Associated With Maternal and Paternal Stress During the First Year, but Not Child Attachment.

Women, as well as their partners, can experience childbirth in many different ways. A negative childbirth experience may have adverse effects on the entire family, resulting, for instance, in parental stress symptoms and a weakened parent-child relationship. Parental stress, without sufficient resources to compensate for it, may also in and of itself negatively influence the parent-child relationship. This study contributes to the current knowledge of the psychological effects of childbirth experience by using longitudinal data collected with both self-reports and observational measures, as well as multiple informants (i.e., mothers and partners). The aim of this study was to investigate whether 1) women’s retrospective birth experiences were related to maternal and paternal parenting stress, 2) birth experience was indirectly associated with child attachment via maternal stress, and 3) birth experience was directly related to child attachment. Data were collected from a mixed sample of community and at-risk primipara women (N = 1,364), as well as from their partners and children. Retrospective childbirth experience was measured 3 months postpartum with a latent factor consisting of five items asking about the feelings that women have about their childbirth. Parental stress was measured at 3 months postpartum for partners and 3 and 12 months postpartum for mothers using the adult domain of the parental stress index (PSI). Finally, parent-child attachment is observed in a subsample of 223 women and children at 12 months postpartum with the Strange Situation Procedure (SSP). Results show that women’s birth experience was significantly related to both mothers’ and their partners’ parenting stress. However, birth experience was not related to child attachment, neither directly nor indirectly via maternal stress. These findings emphasize the long-lasting impact that childbirth may have on both parents. Future research is still needed to further investigate which protective factors may weaken the association between birth experience and parental stress.

Parent-child behavioural synchronization during the second reunion of the Strange Situation Procedure: The interaction effect between parental attachment style and child temperament.

Parent-child behavioural synchronization during the second reunion of the Strange Situation Procedure: The interaction effect between parental attachment style and child temperament.

The strange role of calculus in the United States

In the United States, the first course in single-variable calculus is considered tertiary level mathematics. Initially offered in high schools as a means for strong students to do college-level work, it is now taken by over 20% of high school students and perceived to be a prerequisite for admission into selective colleges and universities. This article describes the growth of this phenomenon and its effects on issues of educational equity. Because U.S. schools are funded locally, there is tremendous variation in the availability of calculus instruction in high school, with the most privileged students having the greatest access. This has profound effects on issues of equity because few universities are effectively addressing the vast disparities in student preparation. This article concludes with observations on what can and should be done to ameliorate the strange situation in the United States with regard to calculus.

Assessment of attachment patterns in preterm children

Se presentan resultados preliminares de una investigación en curso que se realiza en un centro público de salud de la ciudad de La Banda, provincia de Santiago del Estero, que propone evaluar la incidencia de la prematuridad en el estilo de apego del niño. Se evalúan niños nacidos prematuros y nacidos a término entre 12 y 24 meses. Se parte de la idea de que características de la prematuridad, tales como la internación en neonatología y las manifestaciones conductuales y emocionales diferentes a las de niños nacidos a término, pueden introducir diferencias en el apego. La muestra estuvo integrada por 30 díadas madre-bebé correspondientes a dos grupos: (A) compuesto por díadas madre-bebé prematuro, y (B) de control, compuesto por díadas madre-bebé no prematuro. Para evaluar el apego, se utilizó la escala Procedimiento Argentino de la Situación Extraña (Rodríguez y Oiberman, 2013) y se recopiló información sociodemográfica de determinadas variables que pudieran estar asociadas a la calidad del apego de los infantes con sus madres (edad materna, estado civil, trabajo materno, género del niño y tiempo de internación del niño). Los resultados muestran que no existen diferencias con significación estadística entre los grupos estudiados en la calidad del apego. Se encontró relación entre el tiempo de internación y la distribución de apego, siendo que a mayor frecuencia de apego seguro, menor tiempo de internación del niño. Este estudio es uno de los primeros en analizar la distribución del apego en infantes nacidos prematuros en Sudamérica.

Life Lessons of the Pandemic ”Covid - 19”

“A lesson learned the hard way is a lesson learned for a lifetime.” Every bad situation hurts; however, it sure does teach us something a lesson. In the same manner of a new lesson for Human lifetime, history is observing 'The Novel COVID-19 ’, a very horrible and strange situation created due to fighting with a microscopic enemy. WHO on 11 February 2020 has announced a name for new disease as - 19 and has declared as a global public health emergency and subsequently as pandemic because of its widespread. This began as an outbreak in December 2019, with its in Wuhan, the People Republic of China has emerged as a public health emergency of international concern. is the group of a virus with non-segmented, single-stranded and positive RNA genome. This bad situation of pandemic creates new scenes in the life of people in a different manner, which will be going to be life lessons for them. Such lessons should be kept in mind for the safety of living beings and many more things. In this narrative review article, reference was taken from a different article published in various databases which include the view of different authors and writers on the "Lessons to be from Corona".

Early childhood attachment stability and change: a meta-analysis

ABSTRACT Examining degrees of stability in attachment throughout early childhood is important for understanding developmental pathways and for informing intervention. Updating and building upon all prior meta-analyses, this study aimed to determine levels of stability in all forms of attachment classifications across early childhood. Attachment stability was assessed between three developmental epochs within early childhood: infancy, toddlerhood, and preschool/early school. To ensure data homogeneity, only studies that assessed attachment with methods based on the strange situation procedure were included. Results indicate moderate levels of stability at both the four-way (secure, avoidant, resistant, and disorganised; κ = 0.23) and secure/insecure (r = 0.28) levels of assessment. Meta-regression analysis indicated security to be the most stable attachment organisation. This study also found evidence for publication bias, highlighting a preference for the publication of significant findings.

Mothers' self-reported emotion dysregulation: A potentially valid method in the field of infant mental health.

In the current study, we evaluated the extent to which mothers reported emotion dysregulation on the Difficulties with Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (DERS) (a) converged with physiological indices of emotion dysregulation while parenting, (b) correlated with maternal sensitivity, and (c) predicted infant attachment disorganization and behavior problems in a sample of 259 mothers and their infants. When infants were 6 months old, mothers' physiological arousal and regulation were measured during parenting tasks and mothers completed the DERS. Maternal sensitivity was observed during distress-eliciting tasks when infants were 6 and 14 months old. Infant attachment disorganization was assessed during the Strange Situation when infants were 14 months old and mothers reported on infants' behavior problems when infants were 27 months old. Mothers who reported greater emotion regulation difficulties were more physiologically dysregulated during stressful parenting tasks and also showed lower levels of maternal sensitivity at 6 months. Mother-reported dysregulation predicted higher likelihood of infant attachment disorganization and more behavior problems. Results suggest that the DERS is a valid measure of maternal emotional dysregulation and may be a useful tool for future research and intervention efforts aimed toward promoting positive parenting and early child adjustment.

Attachment & Child Health (ATTACH) pilot trials: Effect of parental reflective function intervention for families affected by toxic stress.

Toxic stressors (e.g., parental violence, depression, low income) place children at risk for insecure attachment. Parental reflective function-parents' capacity to understand their own and their child's mental states and thus regulate their own feelings and behavior toward their child-may buffer the negative effects of toxic stress on attachment. Our objective was to test the effectiveness of the Attachment and Child Health (ATTACH) intervention, focusing on improving reflective function and children's attachment security, for at-risk mothers and children <36 months of age. Three pilot studies were conducted with women and children from an inner city agency serving vulnerable, low-income families and a family violence shelter. Randomized control trial (n = 20, n = 10 at enrollment) and quasi-experimental (n = 10 at enrollment) methods tested the effect of the ATTACH intervention on the primary outcome of reflective function scores, from transcribed Parent Development Interviews. Our secondary outcome was children's attachment patterns from Ainsworth's Strange Situation Procedure. Despite some attrition, mixed methods analysis of covariance and t tests revealed significant differences in maternal, child, and overall reflective function, with moderate effect sizes. While more children whose mothers received the ATTACH program were securely attached posttreatment, as compared with controls, significant differences were not observed, which may be due to missing observations (n = 5 cases). Understanding the effectiveness of programs like the ATTACH intervention contributes to improved programs and services to promote healthy development of children affected by toxic stress.

Emerging patterns of infant regulatory behavior in the Still-Face paradigm at 3 and 9 months predict mother-infant attachment at 12 months

ABSTRACT Prior research described three stable patterns of organized behavior employed by infants to manage stressful interactive situations with their mothers in the Face-to-Face Still-Face paradigm (FFSF) at 3 and 9 months postpartum. The current longitudinal study expands this research by examining the extent to which these patterns predict infants’ later attachment quality. For that purpose, 108 full-term infants and their mothers participated in the FFSF at 3 and 9 months, and in the Strange Situation at 12 months. Cross-tabulation analyses indicated a significant association between (1) the Social-positive oriented pattern and secure attachment, (2) the Distressed-inconsolable pattern and insecure-ambivalent attachment, and (3) the Self-comfort oriented pattern and insecure-avoidant attachment. Our results contribute to a growing body of studies suggesting that patterns of infants’ regulatory behavior assessed during the FFSF during the first year, may be early developmental precursors of attachment patterns at 12 months.