Strange Situation Research Articles

POLITICAL STEREOTYPES IN THE MEDIA AND ELECTORAL MOOD OF THE MURMANSK REGION PEOPLE

The article analyzes the impact on the population of political stereotypes formed by two leading media in the Murmansk region on the eve of the election. Using of content analysis, the author describes the main stereotypes functioning in the pre-election texts of the media and political advertising. Conclusions testify to the changing perceptions of voters about elections, and the stereotypes extracted from the media paint a strange and contradictory situation.

Approaching the development of hurt feelings in childhood

When do hurt feelings develop? In this paper, we want to set the stage for empirical investigations that can answer this neglected question. Thus, we present an integrative theory of hurt feelings according to which hurt feelings in their narrow sense consist of (a) a primary appraisal of an illegitimate devaluation, (b) a secondary appraisal of low controllability, (c) an action tendency to withdraw, and (d) the communicative function to signal that one has been wronged, and is expecting reparation. We argue that sulking behavior can be used as an approach to studying hurt feelings in young children because the same appraisals are assumed to underlie sulking. Thus, we review what is known about pouting as a facial expression and sulking behavior. After discussing the ontogeny of two important eliciting situations of hurt feelings—abandonment and sibling favoritism, we preliminarily conclude that relevant behaviors are not present in jealousy experiments that involve a situation of discrimination and that hurt feelings seem not yet present in the Ainsworth Strange Situation at twelve months of age. Finally, we review empirical studies on shame, pride, guilt and social norms because they relate to the same motivational topic of legitimacy and social evaluation. In summary, this review suggests that it is likely that sulking behavior and thus hurt feelings in their narrow sense begin to develop at the end of the second year, together with other self-conscious emotions, but that empirical investigations are strongly needed.

Parental use of 'cry it out' in infants: no adverse effects on attachment and behavioural development at 18months.

Leaving infant to cry it out has been the subject of discussion among researchers and parents. Nevertheless, there is paucity of empirical research investigating the association between leaving infant to cry it out and consequent crying duration and frequency, mother-infant attachment and behavioural development. The sample with complete longitudinal data comprised 178 infants and their caretakers. Parental use of 'leaving infant to cry out' and cry duration were assessed with maternal report at term, 3, 6 and 18months, and frequency of crying was assessed at term, 3 and 18months of age. Attachment was measured at 18months using the strange situation procedure. Behavioural development of the infant was assessed with two observational measures and a parent-report questionnaire at 18months. The use of 'leaving infant to crying' was rare at term and increased over the next 18months. 'Leaving infants to cry it out' at term was associated with a decrease in crying frequency at 3months. Furthermore, leaving infants to cry it out a few times at term and often at 3months was associated with shorter fuss/cry duration at 18months of age. No adverse impacts of leaving infants to cry it out in the first 6months on infant-mother attachment and behavioural development at 18months were found. Contemporary practice of some parents in the United Kingdom to occasionally or often 'leaving infant to cry it out' during the first 6months was not associated with adverse behavioural development and attachment at 18months. Increased use of 'leaving to cry it out' with age may indicate differential responding by parents related to infant self-regulation.

Attachment security differs by later autism spectrum disorder: A prospective study.

Although difficulties with social relationships are key to autism spectrum disorder (ASD), no previous study has examined infant attachment security prior to ASD diagnosis. We prospectively assessed attachment security at 15months in high-risk infants with later ASD (high-risk/ASD, n=16), high-risk infants without later ASD (high-risk/no-ASD, n=40), and low-risk infants without later ASD (low-risk/no-ASD, n=39) using the Strange Situation Procedure. High-risk/ASD infants were disproportionately more likely to be classified as insecure (versus secure) and more likely to be classified as insecure-resistant (versus secure or avoidant) than high-risk/no-ASD and low-risk/no-ASD infants. High-risk infants with insecure-resistant attachments were over nine times more likely to receive an ASD diagnosis than high-risk infants with secure attachments. Insecure-resistant attachment in high-risk infants suggests a propensity toward negative affect with the parent in conditions of stress. Insecure-resistant attachment may prove useful as a potential early index of propensity toward ASD diagnosis in high-risk siblings, while insecure-resistant attachment in the context of emergent autism may contribute to difficulties experienced by children with ASD and their families.

Regulation of Herbal Medicine in Hungary

In order to meet the growing needs of the European Union medicinal and aromatic plants, Hungary is still one of the major exporters today, although earlier, until the 1980s, we were considered a great herb-growing nation. Therefore, the development of the national medicinal and aromatic herb growing sector is an essential requirement for maintaining and developing our market position. The natural conditions of Hungary favor the cultivation of medicinal and aromatic plants. There are more than 330 herbs in our country. About seventy percent of the drugs grown and harvested are exported. However, significant changes are needed in domestic sales and further processing in order to become a leading industrial sector. Hungary also possesses modern separation techniques and large instruments for analysis, which allow the proper analytical examination of drugs and the precise determination of their active substances. Our universities and research institutes are also prepared to study the active ingredients of herbs by molecular biological methods, which may allow the exact mechanism of action of bioactive substances to be determined and the herbs to be reassessed. Our accession to the European Union the palette of products made from former herbs has significantly changed. From 2013, the category of medicinal product was discontinued, and the preparations were classified as either food or medicine. However, there are significant costs associated with qualifying as a drug, so drugs or extracts are largely added to dietary supplements. As a result, the strange situation is that dietary supplements are prohibited from making any health claims, even though the dietary supplement is actually not for the benefit of a healthy population, but for those who have a health problem or do not have suitable foods, which are rich in bioactive substances. The justification of phytotherapy must be demonstrated, depending on the state of the art. In the context of safe therapy, studies must follow the requirements of medicines and only then can they become herbal medicines. There is still much to be desired in this area in our country. Classification as a drug is based on expensive animal tests and clinical studies. A new problem arises here, as herbal cure is currently part of the arsenal of complementary medicine. With few exceptions, clinical doctors do not use herbal therapies. Patients usually ask the advice of pharmacists, naturalists, and more rarely, dietitians. At the Arteriosclerosis Research Group, at the II. Department of Medicine and Institute of Pharmacognosy several decades of biomedical research have served and serve the purpose of evaluating and reassessing the effects of plants used in folk medicine. Over the years, we have been searching for drugs, extracts, and medicines of natural origin that are useful in liver and intestinal diseases known in folk medicine, and are believed to have lipid lowering, antioxidant and immune stimulating effects. In the article, animal and human studies will be also presented.

Validation of the AMBIANCE‐brief: An observational screening instrument for disrupted caregiving

Resulting from a community-identified need for a well-validated indicator of caregiving difficulties for use in practice settings, a brief form of the Atypical Maternal Behavior Instrument for Assessment and Classification System (AMBIANCE) was developed for use as a screening instrument. Prior to its dissemination, this study aimed to assess the feasibility, reliability, and validity of the AMBIANCE-Brief. Adolescent mother-infant dyads (N=69) participated in the Strange Situation Procedure, as well as play sessions with and without toys. Maternal disrupted caregiving was coded from the play sessions using the AMBIANCE and AMBIANCE-Brief. The AMBIANCE-Brief demonstrated convergent validity with the AMBIANCE in the play session with toys (r=.65, p<.001) and without toys (r=.61, p<.001). Concurrent validity of the AMBIANCE-Brief was also demonstrated in relation to infant attachment disorganization in the play session with toys (r=.36, p<.05) and without toys (r=.32, p<.01). These findings suggest a shorter protocol for assessing disrupted caregiving may be feasible and valid for use in community settings. Future studies are in progress to train community practitioners in the use of the AMBIANCE-Brief and to evaluate their reliability.

‘Education as a Geisteswissenschaft’: an introduction to human science pedagogy

ABSTRACTHuman Science Pedagogy is ‘a strange case,’ as Jürgen Oelkers has recently noted: In the Anglophone world, where Gert Biesta has compellingly encouraged scholars to ‘reconsider education as a Geisteswissenschaft’ (a human science) its main themes and the contributions of its central figures remain unknown. For Germans, particularly in more ‘general’ or philosophical areas of educational scholarship (i.e. Allgemeine Pädagogik), this same pedagogy is recognized only insofar as it is critiqued and rejected. Taking this strange situation as its frame, this paper introduces Human Science Pedagogy to English-language readers, providing a cursory overview of its history and principal contributors, while suggesting the contemporary relevance of its themes and questions in both English- and German-language scholarship. This paper concludes with an appeal to readers on both sides of the Atlantic to new or renewed consideration of this pedagogy as a significant and influential source for educational thinking deserving further scholarly attention.

Callous-Unemotional Traits and Disorganized Attachment: Links with Disruptive Behaviors in Toddlers.

Children with callous-unemotional (CU) traits and children with disorganized attachment patterns are at heightened risk of poor psychological outcomes but little is known about the overlap between these constructs and their unique contributions to conduct problems in early childhood. This study examined associations between CU traits, disorganized attachment, and conduct problem (CP) severity in a sample of clinic-referred toddlers with behavioral problems. Mother-child dyads (n=56; mean child age 19.50 months) completed parent-report questionnaires, a dyadic play session, and the Strange Situation Procedure to assess child attachment pattern. Significant positive associations were found between CU traits and disorganized attachment, independent of CP severity. CU traits but not disorganized attachment predicted CP severity. Results indicate that among toddlers with clinic-referred disruptive behavior problems, there are clear links between CU traits and attachment disorganization. Of the two constructs, however, CU traits appear to be most salient in the expression of CPs.

Comportements d’attachement d’enfants d’âge préscolaire consultant en pédopsychiatrie : lien avec des caractéristiques psychologiques maternelles

ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to examine whether variables related to mothers’ psychological functioning could be associated with mother-child attachment insecurity in children referred to an outpatient mental health clinic. MethodTwenty-nine children (23–71 months) and their mothers participated in this study. According to child age, mother-child attachment was assessed using the Strange Situation or the Separation-Reunion Procedure. Mothers’ symptoms of depression, anxiety and parental stress were assessed using self-report inventories. ResultsAvoidant attachment was marginally related to maternal depression and significantly associated with maternal anxiety. Greater parental stress was related to more disorganized and less secure attachment behaviors. A marginal association was also found between maternal stress and ambivalent attachment behaviors. ConclusionThese results support the importance of pursuing research on possible links between maternal psychological determinants and mother-child attachment in children referred to outpatient mental health clinics.

Video feedback for parental sensitivity and attachment security in children under five years.

Video feedback for parental sensitivity and attachment security in children under five years.

Self-protective strategies of parents with ADHD and their children as mediated by sensitivity – a multiple-case study

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the parental sensitivity and self-protective strategies of parents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and those of their children. Design/methodology/approach Six parents with ADHD and their under 3-years-old children participated. One parent took part with her both children. The data included seven parent-child dyads. The parents were interviewed with the modified Adult Attachment Interview. Parental sensitivity was assessed using the CARE-Index. The self-protective strategies of the children were assessed with The Strange Situation Procedure or the Preschool Assessment of Attachment. Findings The study showed a variety of the self-protective strategies of parents with ADHD as well as those of their children. Three subgroups were formed on the basis of risk as indicated by Crittenden’s gradient of transformation of information. Parents displayed complex self-protective strategies as well as unresolved traumas, which impaired their sensitivity and ability to engage in mutual regulation of arousal and emotion. The parents’ needs of self-protection compromised their ability to protect and comfort their child that is their sensitivity. The children’s protective strategies matched those of their parents in regard to complexity as mediated by parental sensitivity. Originality/value This multiple-case study demonstrates new ideas to be tested with quantitative methods in larger samples. There are no previous studies which have examined both the attachment strategies and sensitivity of parents with ADHD connecting these with the evolving attachment strategies of their children.

Reduced caregiving quality measured during the strange situation procedure increases child\u2019s autonomic nervous system stress response

BackgroundDysfunctional maternal behavior has been shown to lead to disturbances in infant’s regulatory capacities and alterations in vagal reactivity. We aim to investigate the autonomic nervous system (ANS) response of the child during the strange situation procedure (SSP) in relation to the quality of maternal behavior.MethodsTwelve month after birth, 163 mother–child-dyads were investigated during the SSP. Heart rate (HR) and both, the parasympathetic branch (PNS) via the respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and the sympathetic branch (SNS) via the left ventricular ejection time (LVET) of the ANS were continuously determined during the SSP using electrocardiogram (ECG) and impedance cardiogram (ICG) measures. Maternal behavior was assessed by using the AMBIANCE measure.ResultsThe ANS response in infants of mothers with disruptive behavior compared to infants of non-disruptive mothers was significantly altered during the SSP: HR increased especially when infants of disruptive mothers were alone with the stranger (F (1, 161) = 4.15, p = .04) with a significant vagal withdrawal when being in contact with the stranger despite of presence of the mother (F (1, 161) = 5.11, p = .03) and a significant increase in vagal tone during final reunion (F (1, 161) = 3.76, p = .05). HR increase was mainly based on a decrease in LVET (F (1, 161) = 4.08, p = .05) with a maximum infant’s HR when the stranger came into the room instead of the mother.ConclusionBoth, SNS and PNS branches of the child are significantly altered in terms of an ANS imbalance, especially during contract to a stranger, in relation to dysfunctional maternal behavior. Our findings suggest the importance of supporting high quality caregiving that enables the infant to adapt adequately to stressful interpersonal situations which is likely to promote later health.

Maternal separation and contact to a stranger more than reunion affect the autonomic nervous system in the mother-child dyad: ANS measurements during Strange Situation Procedure in mother-child dyad

BackgroundThe autonomic nervous system (ANS) processes underlying attachment-related mother-child interactions are not well understood. We aimed to describe and compare the responsivity of the ANS for mothers and their infants during the different phases of the Strange Situation Procedure (SSP). MethodsContinuous measurements of the sympathetic (SNS) and parasympathetic (PNS) branches of the ANS were obtained simultaneously in 91 mothers and their infants (range 10–15 months). Heart rate (HR), respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), pre-ejection period (PEP) and left ventricular ejection time (LVET), were calculated for the baseline period (e1) and seven subsequent episodes (e2–e8) of the SSP. ResultsThe largest difference between the mother and infant was during e7, when the stranger went into the room where the infant was while the mother waited outside the room. Mothers showed reduced SNS-activity or stress reduction while the child showed PNS withdrawal or increased stress response. Additionally, LVET was found to be a marker for SNS changes in the one-year-old infant during SSP. ConclusionMothers and infants showed different stress-related ANS responses during e7. Since this study showed that simultaneous measurement of ANS responses in mother-child dyads during the SSP is feasible, future studies can assess both mother and child stress responses in different contexts. The measure of LVET may be a valid SNS-reactivity measure in the one-year-olds. Since the separation episode e7 led to the strongest ANS responses, future studies might assess stress responses in more normative circumstances, such as child care programs.

Patterns of attachment in early infancy in normative samples, alternative caregiving systems, and high risk infants.

Scientific evidence gathered over the last decades has demonstrated that early attachment is a vital process for the understanding, prevention, and intervention of people's mental and physical health. However, information about the attachment system functioning in Chile is scarce. To des cribe attachment styles distribution in populations of children under different types of care. Through a retrospective descriptive method, 714 mother-child pairs (1 to 36 months- old) selected at random and purposefully, were assessed using the Strange Situation Procedure, Atta chment during Stress Scale (ADS), and Student-Teacher Relationship Scale. The samples were collec ted from randomly selected normative families, infants attending JUNJI nurseries and kindergartens, and infants from CONIN centers and who live in prison with their mothers. The samples from six studies show the spectrum of the attachment system functioning in diverse conditions: 70% secure and 30% insecure, and 51.1% secure and 48.9% insecure in normative samples; 48.5% secure and 51.5% in secure in alternative care; 39.6% secure and 60.4% insecure, and 25% secure and 75% in secure styles in high-risk samples. the study presents interesting evidence on the atta chment distributions in childhood, which allow reflecting on the uneven Chilean reality with regard to early social and emotional development.

Disrupted maternal communication and attachment disorganization in children with autism spectrum disorder

ABSTRACT We examined whether disrupted maternal communication, which is associated with disorganized attachment in typically developing children, is also associated with disorganized attachment in children with ASD. The attachments of 45 boys with ASD and maternal disruption were assessed in the Strange Situation Procedure. Analyses revealed a link between low cognitive functioning and resistant/ambivalent and disorganized attachment, and children’s functioning was therefore controlled. Contrary to expectations, mothers of children with disorganized attachments did not show more disrupted communication than mothers of children with organized attachments. However, the 4-way attachment breakdown showed that the mothers of disorganized and ambivalent/resistant children had higher disruption scores than mothers of secure and avoidant children. The findings suggest that the expected associations between maternal disruption and attachment disorganization apply to children with ASD as well, but raise questions whether disrupted behavior is a unique antecedent of disorganized attachment or also of resistant/ambivalent attachment.

Impact of Behavioral Feeding Intervention on Child Emotional and Behavioral Functioning, Parenting Stress, and Parent-Child Attachment.

Behavioral intervention is the only treatment for pediatric feeding problems with well documented empirical support. However, parents may be hesitant to pursue behavioral intervention because of concerns about possible negative side effects on child behavioral health and the parent-child relationship. This study investigated associations between behavioral feeding treatment and parenting stress, internalizing and externalizing behavior problems in young children, and parent-child attachment quality. Participants included 16 mother-child dyads seeking treatment from a behavioral feeding clinic at a large Midwestern university medical center. Children were between the ages of 30 and 45 months (adjusted) at baseline. Caregivers completed the Child Behavior Checklist for ages 1.5 to 5 (CBCL/1.5-5), the Parenting Stress Index, 3rd Edition Short Form (PSI/SF), and mother-child dyads participated in the Strange Situation procedure at baseline and again after 6 months. The treatment group (n = 12) began outpatient behavioral feeding intervention following the baseline evaluation, whereas the control group (n = 12) remained on the clinic waitlist until after the 6-month follow-up. The treatment group demonstrated decreases in internalizing and externalizing child behavior problems and parenting stress compared with the control group. No significant differences were demonstrated in parent-child attachment quality within or between groups. Behavioral feeding intervention had positive effects on perceptions of child emotional and behavioral functioning and maternal parenting stress. Intervention also did not impact the quality of the mother-child attachment relationship. Further research with a larger sample size and additional observational measures of behavior is needed to support the replicability and generalizability of these results.

Revisiting the African origins of attachment research-50 years on from Ainsworth: A descriptive review.

Culture plays a significant role in the variations observed in the manifestation, expression, and meaning of attachment behaviors. Africa is home to multiple cultures, with distinct organizations of caregiving relationships underlying the development of attachment. This review aims to consolidate knowledge about African attachment by describing studies of infant attachment conducted in Africa since Mary Ainsworth's Ugandan findings in 1967. Electronic databases were searched with the terms "Africa" ("attachment" or "bond") and "infant." Nine studies that assessed infant attachment style with self-report or observation methods were included, but spanned only five countries. The Strange Situation Procedure was most frequently used. Most studies described dyads living in peri-urban or township areas. Multiple socioeconomic factors affecting living conditions were identified, including, unemployment, financial difficulties, limited education, poor housing, single parenthood, lack of partner support, substance abuse, and depression. Overall distributions of attachment classification proportions appear consistent with global attachment-classification patterns. Despite adverse conditions, secure attachment was relatively widespread, and some populations had low rates of avoidant attachment. Relatively high rates of disorganized attachment were found when the category was included. Africa remains an understudied continent regarding infant attachment. The continent's cultural diversity may hold important truths necessary for understanding the complex relationship between infant and attachment figure.

Applicability and attachment findings of the Strange Situation Paradigm in infants with visual impairment.

Attachment studies with diverse populations enrich the understanding of infants' socioemotional development by documenting both universal and idiosyncratic aspects of attachment. Given the effects of attachment in children's socioemotional outcomes, such studies are necessary to investigate the impact of children's sensory impairments on attachment development. Yet, very little attachment research has focused on infants with visual impairment (VI infants), a population in which infant-caregiver emotional exchanges through visual means are reduced/absent. We investigated the applicability of the Strange Situation Paradigm (SSP), with added instructions to compensate for degraded visual input, in 20 VI infants (with no additional disabilities and who were receiving developmental counseling). In all but 1 of the SSPs coded, VI infants displayed observable attachment behavior that was classifiable. Nineteen VI infants showed attachment by 12 months of age. Across the ages tested (fractional age range = 0.9-2.33 months), most VI infants' attachment patterns were classified as secure and organized.

Carrots versus sticks: The relationship between training methods and dog-owner attachment

The use of aversive-based training methods has been suggested to negatively affect dog-human attachment. However, the scientific evidence for this claim is relatively limited. Previous studies relied upon owner reports of training methods or on potentially confounded measures of attachment (e.g., eye gaze). The aim of the present study was to comprehensively and objectively investigate the relationship between aversive- and reward-based training methods and dog-owner attachment. Companion dogs (n = 34) recruited from 6 different dog training schools (3 reward-based and 3 aversive-based) were given a counterbalanced version of the Ainsworth Strange Situation Test. The presence and absence of the owner and a stranger in a room with the dog was manipulated over different episodes. Dogs’ behavior was then analyzed for attachment-related behaviors: contact-maintenance, separation-distress and secure-base effect, as well as following upon separation and greeting upon reunion. Results showed no significant differences between groups for contact-maintenance and separation distress behaviors. However, dogs trained with reward-based methods, but not dogs trained with aversive-based methods, played more in the presence of the owner than in the presence of the stranger, and they also followed and greeted the owner more than the stranger, although these differences were found for only one procedure order. Our study is the first to investigate the relationship between training methods and attachment using a standard and well-validated method for the assessment of dog-owner attachment.

Physiological Indicators of Attachment in Domestic Dogs (Canis familiaris) and Their Owners in the Strange Situation Test.

Behaviorally, attachment is demonstrated when one individual maintains close proximity to another individual and shows distress upon separation. For 29 owner-dog dyads, we employed a modified Ainsworth’s Strange Situation Test (SST) to investigate whether both members would show a physiological reaction to separation. Dogs experienced a series of separation from and reuniting events with their owners and were introduced to a stranger. Before and after the SST, saliva samples were taken from each dyad to measure stress-related analytes: cortisol (CORT) and chromogranin A (CgA). Dogs exhibited attachment behaviors toward owners as evidenced by more time spent in close proximity, more contact initiated and less time spent near the door, compared to episodes with the stranger. Dogs that initiated more contact with their owners in re-uniting episodes had lower CgA than dogs that initiated less contact, but their owners had higher CgA levels. Also during re-uniting episodes, dogs and owners spent more time near each other when owner CgA levels were low, owner CORT levels were high, and the dog had owner-reported separation anxiety. During the episodes alone with the stranger, dogs with higher CORT spent more time with the stranger. Finally, dogs’ initial CgA levels were correlated with their owner’s initial CORT levels, and dog final CORT levels were correlated with their owners’ final CORT levels, suggesting some hormonal synchrony within the dyad. As all owner-dog dyads were assessed as securely attached, attachment style differences could not explain variation in hormonal or behavioral results. These results suggest that dogs may respond to owner hormonal state and/or behavior and demonstrate that individual differences in responses to a behavioral challenge reflect the stress physiology of both dogs and their owners.