Attachment & Human Development最新文献

Background: Fathers remain neglected in attachment research, despite paternal sensitivity being important for children's development. Past research suggested that fathers' parenting may be influenced by contextual factors, including relationship functioning between parents.

Objective: This meta-analysis examined the association between paternal sensitivity and parental relationship functioning, and compared the magnitude of associations to those of maternal sensitivity.

Method: A search conducted across five databases up to February 2023 yielded 44 studies and N = 4,616 fathers (mean father age: 31.7 years; mean child age: 19.1 months). All studies included an observational measure of paternal sensitivity and a measure of parental relationship functioning.

Results: Paternal sensitivity was positively associated with the quality of the co-parenting relationship (r = .13, 95% CI [.01, .25]) and parental romantic relationship (r = .09, 95% CI [.03, .15]).. Associations were similar for mothers and fathers.

Conclusion: This study contributes to our understanding of factors that enhance paternal sensitivity.

Implications: The results of this research may inform family-wide intervention and prevention efforts to support child well-being.

A basic tenet of Attachment Theory describes a species-wide tendency to search out an attachment figure in times of distress. Expectations of support, or lack thereof, may provide a template for socioemotional functioning. This study investigated potential concurrent predictors (i.e. time spent with one's mother and parenting style) and socioemotional correlates of children's verbally expressed preferences for their mothers (i.e. maternal preference) during hypothetical attachment- and affiliation-related situations in 185 Southeast Asian children aged 3-6 years (95 boys). Though children in the current study were cared for by several caregivers, results here suggest they nevertheless prefer their mothers. Maternal time spent did not significantly predict preferences. However, authoritative parenting style scores did. Maternal preferences predicted higher child prosocial, but not problematic behavior. Implications for future work discerning the role of mothers in children's lives are discussed.

Foster children face an elevated risk of behavioral and mental health challenges, often stemming from early adversities such as abuse, neglect, or parental incapacity. This study assessed attachment representations in 28 Danish foster children (ages 4-10) using the Story Stem Assessment Profile (SSAP). Participants were enrolled in a trial comparing Mentalization-Based Family Therapy (MBT) to Care as Usual (CAU). Foster children showed more attachment disorganization than a community sample (t(27) = 2.474, p = .019). Post-treatment, attachment security increased (z = -3.23, p = .001) and disorganization decreased (z = -2.82, p = .005). Age and gender patterns highlighted the need for specific SSAP norms. SSAP narratives were also coded for content reflecting the children's personal experiences to explore the intersection of their attachment representations and lived experiences. Fifteen children included narrative content of personal experiences, offering qualitative insights. These findings underscore the importance of tailored interventions and further investigation into attachment processes among foster children.