Attachment & Human Development最新文献

To better understand perceptions and self-evaluations of sensitive caregiving in Singapore we examined observed (n=301) and self-reported (n=85) maternal behavior, as well as local early educators' (n = 57) opinions concerning ideal maternal behavior, which we then used to create a local MBQS ideal criterion. The association between local educators' MBQS sorting and the standard MBQS ideal criterion was r = 0.67, indicating alignment. Maternal observed and self-reported scores were not significantly associated (MBQS sensitivity criterion: r = -0.13, p = .317; Local criterion: r = -0.10, p = .441). Observed scores (Sensitivity: M = 0.21, Local criterion: M = 0.27) were lower than self-reported scores (Sensitivity: M = 0.62, t(63) = -8.05, p < .001; Local criterion: M = 0.59, t(57) = -7.77, p < .001). The findings reinforce those of past research concerning cross-cultural similarities and limitations in self-reports. Regarding interventional efforts, these point to the need to counter parental resistance to intervention as "unnecessary" with a better understanding of the limits of self-evaluation. Concerning interventional efficacy, the need for observational assessment of change is reinforced.

Although 2023 U.S.-Mexico border encounters reached record levels, many involving Latinx immigrant youth vulnerable to trauma and mental health difficulties, little is known about linguistic features in these youths' attachment narratives. This study analyzed Child Attachment Interview (CAI) transcripts from 109 recently immigrated Central American high school students. Transcripts were processed with Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) software to capture linguistic markers of attachment and were also coded using established CAI procedures for comparison across modalities. With no prior research using CAI and LIWC in Spanish, analyses were exploratory. Findings aligned with earlier work: LIWC markers of security included greater use of cognitive, achievement, and anxiety words, reflecting coherence and openness. Dismissing narratives showed more negations, motion words, and adverbs, while preoccupied narratives featured more hearing words and fewer work terms. LIWC reliably distinguished attachment patterns in immigrant youth, underscoring the need for attachment-focused research and interventions.

This study investigates links between children's attachment security to their mother in middle childhood and two aspects of emotion regulation: (1) trait expressive suppression (ES), the dispositional tendency to hide emotional expressions across contexts, and (2) state ES, the extent to which children hide expressions in a specific context. Children ages 9 to 10 (N = 117; 46% female) reported their trait ES prior to the laboratory visit. To capture state ES in the context of sadness, children watched a sadness-inducing movie scene in the perceived presence of others and reported the sadness they felt during the scene. Children's facial expressions were coded, with state ES defined as the difference between outward expression and self-reported felt emotion. Results indicate that, for girls, greater attachment security was associated with lower trait (but not state) ES. Findings point to a potential early correlate of suppression as a regulatory strategy among girls.

Maternal depressive symptoms during pregnancy are common but often go undetected. Partner reports on maternal depressive symptoms offer meaningful insights beyond self-report, yet little is known about the psychological and relational factors that shape partner reports. In 85 mother-father dyads assessed during pregnancy, we examined associations between self-reported and father-reported maternal depressive symptoms and predictors of informant discrepancies. While father-reported maternal depressive symptoms were moderately correlated with maternal self-reports, 39% of dyads disagreed on whether mother met clinical thresholds. Fathers' self-reported depressive symptoms predicted higher father-reported maternal depressive symptoms. Maternal-reported attachment avoidance was associated with fathers underreporting maternal depressive symptoms relative to maternal self-reports, while maternal-reported attachment anxiety was associated with fathers overreporting maternal depressive symptoms relative to maternal self-reports. Findings underscore the relational context of perinatal mental health. Including fathers as both informants and targets of care could improve identification and treatment of perinatal depression.

We investigated how feeding methods and maternal behaviors during feeding influence mother-infant bonding at 1 year postpartum using data from 80,394 mother-child pairs in the Japan Environment and Children's Study. Bonding, feeding methods, maternal behaviors during feeding, and covariates were obtained from questionnaires and medical records. Modified Poisson regression estimated associations between feeding-related factors and bonding outcomes. At 1 year postpartum, 11.0% (n = 8,822) of mothers showed poor bonding. Mothers who talked to and looked at their child during feeding had a lower risk of poor bonding (adjusted risk ratio: 0.79; absolute risk reduction: 2.6%) than those engaged in other activities. Breastfeeding was associated with a borderline reduction in risk (0.91) compared to formula feeding. The lowest risk was observed among mothers who both breastfed and interacted with their child (0.72; absolute risk reduction: 3.5%). These findings suggest that interaction during feeding may reduce poor bonding and enhance potential benefits of breastfeeding.

This longitudinal study examined the respective contributions of father-child and mother-child attachment to children's later executive functions (EF) during toddlerhood. The sample included 88 Canadian toddlers (51% boys) and their parents (89% White) visited in their homes at about 13 (T1) and 19 (T2) months of age. At T1, father-child and mother-child interactions were evaluated using the Attachment Q-Set. At T2, toddlers' hot and cool components of EF were assessed using behavioral tasks. Findings from two sets of analyses converged to suggest that developing secure attachment relationships with both parents may be optimal for the development of cool EF during toddlerhood.

One pathway to children's antisocial orientations implicates a longitudinal sequence from parents' attachment insecurity to their hostile representations of the child (Internal Working Models, IWMs) to negative parenting. The relevant research, however, is subject to limitations. One, although parts of that path have been robustly supported, few studies have formally examined the entire longitudinal cascade. Two, the pertinent studies have rarely considered child temperament. In a study of 200 families (mothers, fathers, and children), we examined whether the path from parental insecurity in infancy, to parental hostile IWMs of the child, to negative parenting, both at toddler age, to children's antisocial orientation at preschool age was moderated by children's toddler-age temperament. For mothers and children, the path was found only for children with highly difficult temperaments. Research bridging frameworks informed by attachment theory, social cognitive representations, parenting, and temperament can enhance our understanding of early origins of antisocial outcomes.

Dyadic synchrony, the temporal alignment of behaviors and affect between mother and child, is central to successful interactions. The role of maternal ADHD symptoms in this process is underexplored. Thirty mother-child dyads engaged in a free-play task. Maternal ADHD symptoms were assessed, dyadic synchrony was measured with human-coded ratings (Coding Interactive Behavior, CIB) and automated analysis (Motion Energy Analysis, MEA), and maternal affect was assessed before and after the interaction. Higher maternal ADHD symptoms were linked to lower CIB-rated synchrony, but not maternal affect. MEA showed complementary patterns, correlating with specific CIB dimensions. Findings highlight maternal ADHD symptomology as a risk factor for reduced dyadic synchrony and suggest additive value in combining human-coded and automated assessments.

The ability to openly consider the mental states of others has been termed mentalizing and is crucial to maintaining interpersonal relationships. Theory and previous research findings suggest that emotional arousal may impact mentalization. This study examined whether the arousal associated with a relational rupture impacted young adults' ability to mentalize about their family member with whom they were in conflict. Fifty-four young adults were interviewed about an ongoing conflict with a significant family member. Average heart rate, skin conductance, and level of mentalization were measured at the speech-turn level. Results showed a curvilinear association between mean heart rate and reflective functioning (RF). No effects were found for skin conductance. Logistic regression showed RF scores predicted participants' readiness to engage in information gathering. Moderate emotional arousal was associated with higher RF, and those with higher RF were nearly twice as likely to be ready to gather new information from the other.

Infants' mental representations of attachment are thought to develop across the first year. Due to methodological challenges, empirical attempts to assess these representations are scarce. The study presents a preliminary attempt to validate a measure of infants' attachment representations. Seventy-two mother-infant dyads (34 girls) were assessed. At 4-months, 60 dyads were observed during free-play interactions. At 10-months, 72 infants viewed a puppet-show depicting a responsive vs. an unresponsive parent-puppet. Looking-time patterns indexed infants' expectations, and puppet choice indexed infants' preference for parent-puppets' responsiveness. Infants generally expected (d = 0.42) and preferred (66%) parent-puppet-responsiveness. Moreover, maternal "responsive secure-base" behavior at 4-months was associated with infants' expectations (r = .29, p = .025) and preference (d = 0.6) for responsiveness at 10-months. Findings support theoretical concepts, providing preliminary evidence for infants' preverbal attachment representations and their roots in early social experience with their attachment figures. Future research using larger samples and standard attachment assessments is needed to validate this measure.