Search

Since the development of the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) in 1985, more than 26,000 AAIs have been administered, coded, and reported, representing 170 (wo-)man-years of work. We used multinomial tests and analyses of correspondence to compare the AAI distributions in various cultural and age groups, in mothers, fathers, high-risk, and clinical samples with the combined samples of North American non-clinical, non-risk mothers (22% dismissing, 53% secure, 8% preoccupied, and 17% unresolved loss or other trauma). Males were more often classified as dismissing and less frequently classified as secure compared to females (except adoptive fathers), and females were more frequently classified as unresolved (but not more often preoccupied) compared to males. A combination of high scores on the unresolved and insecure-preoccupied dimensions was shared by borderline personality disorder, autism spectrum disorders, and gender dysphoria, while combined high scores on the unresolved and insecure-dismissing dimensions characterized anxiety problems, obsessive-compulsive and thought disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aims to clarify the relation between maternal sensitivity and infant attachment security during the first two years of life. A systematic search has been carried out in six databases (Medline, PsycINFO, Web of Science, Science Direct, Scopus and Psychology and Behavioural) between January 2010 and February 2023. The terms used for the search were mother–infant interaction, infant attachment, and maternal sensitivity. In total, ten studies were selected in which mother–infant dyads from the general population participated. Eight studies showed favourable results to the positive relation between both constructs and two studies did not. The main findings from this review indicate a positive association between both concepts in most studies, independently of the assessment instrument used or the moment of evaluation. These results allow us to understand the importance of fostering sensitive behaviours in mothers to optimize child development and facilitate the formation of secure attachments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What does it mean to become attached? Three longitudinal studies established the empirical basis for the existing four‐phase model of attachment formation, a model that has remained unmodified and unexamined for over half a century. In this paper, I revisit the research questions, methods, and findings from the seminal studies to reevaluate the current model. The evidence indicates two distinct definitions of attachment onset. In the first two phases of the model, becoming attached is defined by changes in within‐subject behaviors leading to the selection of a discriminated figure. Defined this way, attachment onset is analogous to how bond formation is currently defined in other mammals and how imprinting is understood in birds. In contrast, the third and fourth phases of the model define attachment onset by forming a goal‐corrected relationship. This second definition is human‐centric and relies on secure base behavior as the signature criterion, the same criteria used to classify secure and insecure patterns of attachment. I argue for a narrower definition of attachment by removing goal‐corrected behavior as a criterion and focusing on the normative process of selection. In addition, I integrate contemporary work on pair bonding in humans and other animals to propose new avenues for conceptualizing and studying attachment formation in infancy and beyond in filial and sexual bonds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the still‐face episode of the Face‐to‐Face/Still‐Face (FFSF), parents are asked to become unresponsive. However, infant–parent interaction may be irrepressible, and there is some evidence that interaction during the still‐face is associated with attachment outcome. To explore these questions, we independently coded the continuous affective valence (negative to positive) of seventy‐three 6‐month‐old infants (45 males; 36 Hispanic/Latinx; 38 White, 3 Black/African‐American, 2 Asian, 30 multiracial) and their parents (Mage = 36 years; 5 males; 30 Hispanic/Latinx; 65 White, 3 Black/African‐American, 2 Asian, 2 unknown) during the FFSF and assessed attachment at 15 months with the Strange Situation Procedure (n = 66). There was a mean positive correlation between moment‐to‐moment parent and infant affective valence, indicating synchronous affective interaction during the still‐face (d = 0.63). Higher levels of affect interaction during the still‐face episode were detected in infants later classified as disorganised compared to securely attached (d = 0.97). Findings underscore the importance of testing for still‐face interaction and suggest that this interaction may be an unappreciated predictor of infant attachment outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge about the influences of maternal postpartum anxiety disorders (PAD) on infant development is limited. Aim of this present study is to evaluate the influence of PAD on infant attachment. In a longitudinal study, self-reported anxiety symptoms of N = 70 mothers (N = 28 with PAD diagnosed according to the DSM-IV, N = 42 controls) were examined in the postpartum period and one year later. Infants' attachment was observed in the Strange Situation Test (SST) at the age of 12–24 months. Results indicate a strong relationship between PAD and infant attachment: infants of mothers with PAD were significantly more likely to be classified as insecure or disorganized than infants of control mothers. Logistic regression analysis led to a significant model with 76.8 % correct classification of infant attachment dependent on the maternal fear of anxiety associated body sensations (OR = 4.848) in the postpartum period. Including maternal sensitivity and interaction behavior, only maternal intrusiveness was additionally associated with infant attachment (ρ = 0.273, p <.05; OR = 45.021, p =.153). Participants were highly educated. Different anxiety disorders included led to a heterogenous sample. Generalization is diminished. Maternal sensitivity was measured on a global scale, and body tension was self-reported. PAD plays a crucial role in the development of infant attachment. Interaction-focused interventions, helping mothers to decrease intrusiveness, and body-focused interventions, helping mothers to deal with their fear of anxiety symptoms, might be promising pathways to buffer the influence of PAD on infant attachment. • Maternal postpartum anxiety disorders influence infant attachment. • Development of infant attachment is associated with maternal body sensations. • Fear of anxiety-related body sensations is related to infant attachment insecurity. • Maternal intrusive behavior increases the likelihood of infant attachment insecurity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intergenerational transmission of attachment is one of the core hypotheses of attachment theory. How parents or other caregivers look back on their childhood attachment experiences is suggested to shape their infants' attachments. In the current paper, we show that a new twist to correspondence analysis (Canonical Correlation Analysis [CCA]) of cross-tabulated attachment classifications with oblique rotation Correspondence Analysis (CA) may uncover the latent structure of intergenerational transmission showing the unique role of parental Unresolved representations in predicting infant Disorganized attachments. Our model of intergenerational transmission of attachment supports predicted associations between parental and infant attachments. Despite growing skepticism about the validity of parental Unresolved trauma and infant Disorganized attachment, we come to an evidence-based statistical defense of these generative clinical components of attachment theory awaiting a substantive experimentum crucis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Strange Situation Procedure (SSP) was developed five decades ago to assess infant–parent attachment relationships. Although the procedure itself has remained relatively constant in over 285 studies (20,720 dyads) conducted to date, there have been vast sociological changes during this time, and research foci shifts to studying diverse populations. Since its inception, the SSP has also been adopted in over 20 countries. In this meta-analysis, we collate this large body of work, with the objectives of producing reliable estimates of the distribution of the four SSP attachment classifications, assessing temporal trends and geographical differences, and determining if and when distributions are different across various populations. Results revealed that the global distribution of SSP attachment was 51.6% secure, 14.7% avoidant, 10.2% resistant, and 23.5% disorganized. There were no differences in the distribution among mothers and fathers, and no child age or sex differences. We found a temporal trend in which there was less avoidant attachment over time and there were attachment distribution differences between samples from North America versus other regions of the world, particularly Asia, Middle East/Israel and South America. We found higher rates of avoidant and disorganized attachment in populations with sociodemographic risks and higher rates of disorganized attachment in samples where parents had psychopathology and when the child experienced maltreatment or was adopted from foster or institutional care. The implications of these findings for future research and practice are discussed. Public Significance Statement: This meta-analysis suggests that, worldwide, one in every two infants develops a secure attachment relationship with their caregiver. Secure attachment is more likely to develop when fewer stressors are imposed on the parent–infant dyad. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infant attachment theory is now nearly seventy-years old. Despite debates that developed around the original theory relating to the role of the mother and the potential for emotional flexibility in the infant, its core thesis of the role of the 'Internal Working Model' in human mental health endures. Recent neurophysiological research reveals complex relationships between stress biology and infant attachment. In this article, attachment theory is summarised from its origins to its currently emerging relationship with neurophysiology, and implications for policy are discussed. Emergent concepts include the indication that insecure relationships in infancy have the potential to impact upon lifelong mental health, and that contemporary UK policy does not give enough weight to this finding when planning care and social strategies for infants and their families. This article attempts to bring together a cohesive picture of research across neurophysiology, psychology and practice to inform future policy development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Benefits of attachment security have been demonstrated in multiple realms of development, and an extensive body of research has identified some of the antecedents associated with the development of secure attachments. While previous research has indicated that infant massage may support the development of mothers' attachment to their babies, no published research exists that investigated infants' attachment security after mothers learn infant massage strokes. This study tested the impact of an infant massage intervention on mothers' massage frequency and attachment security in infants. Fifty-eight mother-infant dyads were randomly assigned to a treatment (massage, n = 28) or control (education, n = 30) group. Most mothers had preschool aged children participating in Head Start as well as an infant under 8 months of age; the remaining mothers were from the community. Mothers in the treatment group completed 4 weeks of infant massage training using standard strokes from Infant Massage USA, a chapter of the International Association of Infant Massage, headquartered in Sweden. At 12 months, mothers were guided through the standard sorting procedure of the Attachment Q-set (Waters, 1987). The treatment was effective, as 86 % of mothers in the massage group were still massaging their babies at the follow-up, an average of 10 months later, and infants whose mothers massaged them had higher attachment security scores. Surprisingly, 29 % of the mothers in the comparison group reported that they massaged their babies. A treatment X massage frequency ANOVA indicated that 12-month-old infants whose mothers in the treatment group had massaged them more than once per week were more securely attached than infants of mothers who massaged their infants less than once per week and also were more securely attached than infants in the comparison group. However mothers in the control group defined massage, it was not associated with infant attachment security at the follow-up. These results indicate that this inexpensive, easy to implement intervention effectively increased mothers' ongoing use of infant massage, which in turn predicted more attachment security in their infants., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Paternal depression and inadequate attachment experienced in the postpartum period may be associated with future emotional and behavioural problems of children. This study aimed to investigate the paternal depression and attachment levels of first‐time fathers. Design and Methods: The sample of this descriptive study consisted of 175 fathers with 3–6 months old babies whose wives applied to the polyclinic for check‐up. Findings: When the cut‐off point of the scale was evaluated at 13 and above in this study, the risk of depression was found to be 14.2%. The level of attachment decreases as fathers' risk of depression increases (p < 0.05). Practice implications: There is a risk of depression in fathers in the postpartum period. The level of attachment decreases as fathers' risk of depression increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this preliminary study was to explore infant-mother attachment quality in a Dutch clinical sample of mothers with severe psychiatric disorder, with or without comorbid personality disorder. Thirty-two mothers were recruited through specialized secondary and tertiary outpatient clinics and mental health institutions. Maternal psychiatric and personality diagnoses were verified with structured clinical interviews during pregnancy. Maternal concurrent level of psychiatric symptoms was assessed by self-report and infant-mother attachment quality by observation in the Strange Situation Procedure at 14 months postpartum. In the full sample, almost half of the infants were classified as disorganized. All infants of mothers with a comorbid personality disorder were classified as either insecure or disorganized. Infants of mothers with a comorbid personality disorder had a significantly higher disorganization score than infants of mothers with a psychiatric disorder only. Continuous attachment security scores did not differ significantly between groups. In the full sample, continuous infant attachment security and disorganization score were not significantly correlated with the level of maternal concurrent psychiatric symptoms. Our exploratory findings suggest a specific link between maternal psychiatric and comorbid personality disorder and attachment disorganization. Moreover, chronicity of symptoms appears more relevant for attachment behaviors than the severity of concurrent psychiatric symptoms. Maternal personality disorder may have a strong formative impact on infant attachment security and disorganization, which warrants further research to inform clinical practice, in order to reduce the risk of intergenerational transmission of maternal psychopathology. • Maternal comorbid psychiatric and personality disorder relates to infant disorganized behavior. • Regardless of comorbidity, less than 20 % of infants were securely attached. • Maternal concurrent psychiatric symptoms are not associated with infant attachment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study examined mothers' emotional availability (EA) during daytime free play and bedtime as a mediator of linkages between maternal nighttime sleep and infant-mother attachment. Participants included 153 mothers (85% White) with infants (53% female). When infants were 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months, maternal sleep was assessed using actigraphy and daily sleep diaries for 7 consecutive days. At each time point, mothers' EA was scored from one observation of daytime free play and from one evening observation of infant bedtime by trained observers who were blind to all other participant information. Average scores were created for maternal sleep and EA across the five occasions in the first year. At 12 and 18 months, infant-mother attachment security in the home was scored by blind observers using the Attachment Q-Set, averaged across the two age points, and used in analyses. Mediational analyses revealed that mothers who experienced highly variable sleep and had poor sleep quality were less emotionally available with infants at bedtime during infants' first year of life, which in turn was predictive of lower infant-mother attachment security in the second year, supporting mediation. Linkages between maternal sleep characteristics and daytime EA were less evident. Later maternal sleep timing was also directly predictive of low attachment security, after accounting for maternal EA. Findings emphasize that poor parental sleep places both parenting and infant socioemotional development at risk, and that parental sleep hygiene and sleep habits should be a salient focus of parenting intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parental mental disorders increase the risk for insecure attachment in children. However, the quality of caregiver–infant interaction plays a key role in the development of infant attachment. Dyadic interaction is frequently investigated via global scales which are too rough to uncover micro-temporal mechanisms. Prior research found that the latency to reparation of uncoordinated dyadic states is associated with infant behavioral and neuroendocrine regulation. We investigated the hypothesis that this interactive mechanism is critical in predicting secure vs. insecure attachment quality in infancy. We also assessed the predictive quality of infant attachment regarding neuroendocrine reactivity later in childhood. A subsample of N = 58 dyads (n = 22 mothers with anxiety disorders, n = 36 controls) from a larger study were analyzed. At 3–8 months postpartum, maternal anxiety disorders were diagnosed via a structured clinical interview as well as dyadic interaction during the Face-to-Face-Still-Face (FFSF) was observed and coded on a micro-temporal scale. Infant attachment quality was assessed with the strange situation paradigm at 12–24 months of age. In an overlapping subsample of N = 39 (n = 13 mothers with anxiety disorder; n = 26 controls), we assessed child cortisol reactivity at 5 to 6 years of age. Generalized linear modeling revealed that longer latencies to interactive reparation during the reunion episode of the FFSF as well as maternal diagnosis at 3–8 months of age predict insecure attachment in children aged 12–24 months. Cox regressions demonstrated that dyads with infants who developed insecure attachment at 12–24 months of age were 48% less likely to achieve an interactive reparation at 3–8 months of age. Mixed models revealed that compared to securely attached children, children who had developed an insecure attachment at 12–24 months of age had an increased cortisol reactivity at 5 to 6 years of age during free play. The results confirm the hypothesis that the development of attachment is affected by experienced micro-temporal interactive patterns besides diagnostic categories. They also showed that infants of mothers with postpartum anxiety disorders have a more than fivefold increased risk of developing an insecure attachment than the infants of the control group. Moreover, results imply that these patterns may influence neurohormonal regulation even in preschool aged children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reviews the evolution of a newborn through the first year of life and the potential impacts of COVID-19 on the infant, parent, and the parent-infant relationship. Babies grow in the context of relationships, and the quality of those relationships affects the physiological and psychological organization of the baby. Precisely because each baby is a being with unique biology, temperament, and ways of experiencing, feeling, and learning, much is to be discovered and understood about them. The baby's wordless communications require their parents to intuit, infer, hypothesize, and experiment as parents come to know the needs of their baby. As we walk alongside parents who struggle to come to know their infant – even as the infant is coming to know them – we are required to have conceptual knowledge of how a newborn becomes a fully awakened infant. Under typical conditions, the birth of a firstborn baby presents a caregiving challenge and developmental opportunity for the emerging parent. Environmental context can serve to support or interfere in the success of the adjustment. This paper will explore some theoretical underpinnings that contribute to infant and parent well-being and the possible impact of being born during the COVID-19 pandemic. Also considered will be the undue burden of families bearing the weight of economic inequities, oppression, and structurally supported racism. This article will explore the influence of parental perception, the development of attachment relationships, and how that is influenced by and influences infant communication. Finally, it will suggest ways that psychotherapists seeing individuals who are parents can hold the infant in mind as they work to understand and respond to their adult clients navigating the impacts of this pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parental mental disorders increase the risk for insecure attachment in children. However, the quality of caregiver–infant interaction plays a key role in the development of infant attachment. Dyadic interaction is frequently investigated via global scales which are too rough to uncover micro-temporal mechanisms. Prior research found that the latency to reparation of uncoordinated dyadic states is associated with infant behavioral and neuroendocrine regulation. We investigated the hypothesis that this interactive mechanism is critical in predicting secure vs. insecure attachment quality in infancy. We also assessed the predictive quality of infant attachment regarding neuroendocrine reactivity later in childhood. A subsample of N = 58 dyads (n = 22 mothers with anxiety disorders, n = 36 controls) from a larger study were analyzed. At 3–8 months postpartum, maternal anxiety disorders were diagnosed via a structured clinical interview as well as dyadic interaction during the Face-to-Face-Still-Face (FFSF) was observed and coded on a micro-temporal scale. Infant attachment quality was assessed with the strange situation paradigm at 12–24 months of age. In an overlapping subsample of N = 39 (n = 13 mothers with anxiety disorder; n = 26 controls), we assessed child cortisol reactivity at 5 to 6 years of age. Generalized linear modeling revealed that longer latencies to interactive reparation during the reunion episode of the FFSF as well as maternal diagnosis at 3–8 months of age predict insecure attachment in children aged 12–24 months. Cox regressions demonstrated that dyads with infants who developed insecure attachment at 12–24 months of age were 48% less likely to achieve an interactive reparation at 3–8 months of age. Mixed models revealed that compared to securely attached children, children who had developed an insecure attachment at 12–24 months of age had an increased cortisol reactivity at 5 to 6 years of age during free play. The results confirm the hypothesis that the development of attachment is affected by experienced micro-temporal interactive patterns besides diagnostic categories. They also showed that infants of mothers with postpartum anxiety disorders have a more than fivefold increased risk of developing an insecure attachment than the infants of the control group. Moreover, results imply that these patterns may influence neurohormonal regulation even in preschool aged children.

Prior research in Western countries (mostly the US, Canada and northern Europe) indicates that mothers' representations are associated with mother–infant interaction quality and their child's attachment security later in the first year. Fewer studies, however, have evaluated whether these associations hold for mother–infant dyads in other countries, such as Brazil and Portugal. Although these countries share a similar language and culture, they differ on societal dimensions that may affect parenting attitudes and mother–infant relationships, such as economic stress, social organisation, social policy, and the availability of services for young families. In this longitudinal study, we followed two independent samples of Brazilian and Portuguese mother–infant dyads from the perinatal period to 12 months post‐partum. We assessed mothers' perinatal representations using semi‐structured interviews in the first 48 hours after the infant's birth, and evaluated the associations of these representations with mother interaction quality at 9 months and infant attachment at 12 months. Results were similar in each country, corroborating prior research in single Western countries: Mothers with more positive perinatal representations were more sensitive to their infants during free play at 9 months and were more likely to have infants classified as securely attached at 12 months. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential for ‘historical trauma’ is deeply rooted within the evolved human mind, which constructs its reality through narrative in the shape of personally and culturally relevant stories. From its roots within psychoanalytic theory and practice and through its clear links with infant attachment, historical trauma can be theoretically linked with stress biology and the concept of Adverse Childhood Experiences. Via this trajectory, it has the potential to become more commonly drawn upon in the field of public health, despite inconclusive attempts to link it to social epigenetics. It is proposed that when the historical trauma narrative invades family histories via negative experiences that have deeply impacted upon the lives of ancestors, descendants may be drawn to ‘traumatic reenactment’ through fantasy. This is explored with reference to my own recently published novel, examining its content through the perspective of the ‘psychic work’ it represents with respect to reconciling the self to the traumatic experiences of ancestors.

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early interactions between infants and their caregivers are fundamental to child development, and the parent–infant relationship is believed to provide the foundation for healthy and secure attachment relationships and for infant mental health. Over time, these secure attachment relationships become the backbone for positive child outcomes across development. Abundant research to date confirms that parental mental illness, including depression and PTSD following trauma exposure, may have a detrimental impact on parenting quality and subsequent early child relationship formations. This review paper summarizes the literature on the role of sensitive parenting and a healthy mother–infant relationship in establishing a secure mother–infant attachment bond, which in turn is critical for the child's healthy socioemotional and cognitive development. The review also highlights the roles of maternal perinatal depression, PTSD, and/or exposure to interpersonal violence or childhood maltreatment onto parenting, bonding, and child attachment style towards the caregiver. The final section discusses existing therapeutic interventions and approaches that bolster early parenting practices and early maternal–child relationships. Specific emphasis is placed on relational interventions that address bonding and attachment disturbances in the context of maternal perinatal mental health risk and trauma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meta-analyses demonstrate that the quality of early attachment is modestly associated with peer social competence ( r = .19) and externalizing behavior ( r = -.15), but weakly associated with internalizing symptoms ( r = -.07) across early development (Groh et al., Child Development Perspectives, 11 (1), 70-76, 2017). Nonetheless, these reviews suffer from limitations that undermine confidence in reported estimates, including evidence for publication bias and the lack of comprehensive assessments of outcome measures from longitudinal studies in the literature. Moreover, theoretical claims regarding the specificity of the predictive significance of early attachment variation for socioemotional versus academic outcomes had not been evaluated when the analyses for this report were registered (but see Dagan et al., Child Development , 1-20, 2023; Deneault et al., Developmental Review, 70 , 101093, 2023). To address these limitations, we conducted a set of registered analyses to evaluate the predictive validity of infant attachment in two landmark studies of the Strange Situation: the Minnesota Longitudinal Study of Risk and Adaptation (MLSRA) and the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (SECCYD). Across-time composite assessments reflecting teacher report, mother report, and self-reports of each outcome measure were created. Bivariate associations between infant attachment security and socioemotional outcomes in the MLSRA were comparable to, or slightly weaker than, those reported in the recent meta-analyses, whereas those in the SECCYD were weaker for these outcomes. Controlling for four demographic covariates, partial correlation coefficients between infant attachment and all socioemotional outcomes were r ≤ .10 to .15 in both samples. Compositing Strange Situations at ages 12 and 18 months did not substantively alter the predictive validity of the measure in the MLSRA, though a composite measure of three different early attachment measures in the SECCYD did increase predictive validity coefficients. Associations between infant attachment security and academic skills were unexpectedly comparable to (SECCYD) or larger than (MLSRA) those observed with respect to socioemotional outcomes.

The relations among maternal depression risk, maternal mind-mindedness, and infants' attachment behavior were longitudinally examined in a community sample of mother-infant dyads. Maternal self-reported depression risk was measured at the infant ages of 6 weeks, 4 months, and 12 months. Maternal mind-mindedness, assessed from mothers' comments about infants' mental states (e.g., infants' thoughts, desires, or emotions), was measured during mother-infant interactions when infants were 4 months. Infants' attachment behavior was assessed at one year. Mothers' depression risk decreased over the infants' first year, with the sharpest decline between 6 weeks and 4 months. Mothers at risk for depression when infants were 6 weeks showed less appropriate mind-mindedness at 4 months. Mind-mindedness was not related to maternal depression risk at the infant age of 4 months or 12 months. Infants' degree of disorganized attachment behavior at one year was positively associated with maternal depression risk at 6 weeks and negatively associated with maternal appropriate mind-mindedness at 4 months. Mothers who are at risk for depression in their infants' early lives may be hampered in their capacity to respond appropriately to their infants' mental states. Infants with mothers who have difficulty responding appropriately to their mental states, as suggested by low appropriate mind-mindedness, may feel less known and recognized by their mothers, a key theme in the origins of disorganized attachment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infant attachment remains virtually unexplored in former Eastern Bloc countries. The dimensional approach to infant attachment, which could ease common obstacles in cross-cultural attachment research, necessitates more empirical support. This study explores infant attachment in the Czech Republic, a post-communist country with a unique family policy, using both the categorical and the dimensional models. It also compares the Czech infant attachment distribution to infant attachment distributions in other countries and compares infant attachment distributions in European countries to the Baltimore study sample. In the Strange Situation Procedure, forty-nine (74 %) out of sixty-six mother-infant dyads (35 boys, M = 13.8, SD = 0.9) received the B classification. Despite the generous family policy and cultural emphasis on close mother-infant relationships, the Czech distribution of insecure categories did not differ from the Baltimore study sample. Out of other post-communist countries, only the infant attachment distribution in former East Germany differed from the Czech and the Baltimore study samples due to a lower proportion of type B and a higher proportion of type A infants. There were also more type A infants in the Italian sample. Interactive behavior scales accurately predicted attachment categories in 91 % of cases. Contact-maintenance and proximity-seeking scales substantially improve the assessment of insecure resistant behavior. Our findings support the universality and normativity of attachment and the utility of the dimensional approach. • The Czech infant attachment distribution does not differ from Western countries. • The Czech communist past and unique parenting did not affect insecure categories. • Former East German infant attachment distribution differs from Western countries. • Interactive behavior scales accurately differentiate infant attachment categories. • Contact-maintenance and proximity-seeking help assess insecure resistant behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pregnancy is an important opportunity for parents to develop a relationship with the unborn baby, and two ways of assessing this have been developed. The first focuses on the ‘intensity’ and ‘quality’ of the mother’s emotional ties to the baby (i.e. known as maternal-foetal attachment – MFA) and the second focuses on her mental images of the baby (i.e. known as representations). This paper describes these aspects of the relationship with the unborn baby in more detail alongside some of the key ways in which they can be measured, and summarises some of the findings from research about their impact on both mother-infant interaction, and the baby’s attachment in the postnatal period. The implications for practice are also described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large body of evidence indicates that secure infant-mother attachment significantly predicts optimal social-emotional development; however, fathers' role in infancy has received less attention. Fathers' role may be especially critical in families who are at higher risk due to fathers' alcohol abuse/dependence and associated risks. We hypothesized that infants who are securely attached to both parents in the first year (as measured by the Strange Situation paradigm) of life will be more responsive and positive during play interactions with both parents in the second year. The sample consisted of 227 infants (50.1% female); 55.1% had a father who met the criteria for alcohol abuse/dependence. Results indicated that infants who were securely attached with both parents displayed higher positive affect, lower negative affect, more responsiveness and less passivity during parent-child interactions at 24 months, compared to infants who were insecurely attached to both parents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective:This study’s aim was to evaluate whether infant disorganised attachment and infant proneness to distress exhibited differential relations to infant genetic factors as indexed by the serotonin transporter polymorphism.Background:The role of the short allele of the serotonin transporter polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) in enhancing sensitivity to fearful and negative affect has been well-established. In the current study, we used this known property of the short allele to provide a test of an important postulate of attachment theory, namely that infant attachment security or disorganisation is not a function of the infant’s proneness to distress.Methods:Participants were 39 parents and infants assessed between 12 and 18 months in the Strange Situation Procedure. Genotype categories for the 5-HTTLPR (and rs25531) were created by both the original and the reclassified grouping system; infant proneness to distress was assessed directly in the Strange Situation Procedure. We also assessed maternal behaviour at 18 months to evaluate whether any observed genetic effect indicated a passive effect through the mother.Results:Consistent with previous findings, the 5-HTTLPR short allele was significantly related to the infant’s wariness and distress, but was not related to attachment security or attachment disorganisation. In addition, maternal disrupted interaction with the infant was not related to infant genotype or infant distress.Conclusion:Results support the concept that infant proneness to distress is associated with serotonergic factors while infant attachment security or disorganisation is not a function of either 5-HTTLPR or behaviourally rated proneness to distress. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Over half a century of converging clinical and animal research indicates that early life experiences induce enduring neuroplasticity of the HPA-axis and the developing brain. This experience-induced neuroplasticity is due to alterations in the frequency and intensity of stimulation of pups’ sensory systems (i.e. olfactory, somatosensory, gustatory) embedded in mother-infant interactions. This stimulation provides hidden regulators of pups’ behavioral, physiological and neural responses that have both immediate and enduring consequences, including those involving the stress response. While variation in stimulation can produce individual differences and adaptive behaviors, pathological early life experiences can induce maladaptive behaviors, initiate a pathway to pathology and increase risk for later life psychopathologies, such as mood and affective disorders, suggesting that infant attachment relationships program later life neurobehavioral function. Recent evidence suggests that the effects of maternal presence or absence during this sensory stimulation provide a major modulatory role in neural and endocrine system responses, which have minimal impact on pups’ immediate neurobehavior but a robust impact on neurobehavioral development. This concept is reviewed here using two complementary rodent models of infant trauma within attachment: infant paired odor-shock conditioning (mimicking maternal odor attachment learning) and rearing with an abusive mother, that converge in producing a similar behavioral phenotype in later life including depressive-like behavior as well as disrupted HPA-axis and amygdala function. The importance of maternal social presence on pups’ immediate and enduring brain and behavior suggests unique processing of sensory stimuli in early life that could provide insight into the development of novel strategies for prevention and therapeutic interventions for trauma experienced with the abusive caregiver.

ABSTRACT The prototype hypothesis suggests that attachment representations derived in infancy continue to influence subsequent relationships over the life span, including those formed with one's own children. In the current study, we test the prototype hypothesis by exploring (a) whether child-specific representations following actual experience in interaction with a specific child impacts caregiver-child attachment over and above the prenatal forecast of that representation and (b) whether maternal attachment representations exert their influence on infant attachment via the more child-specific representation of that relationship. In a longitudinal study of 84 mother-infant dyads, mothers' representations of their attachment history were obtained prenatally with the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI; M. Main, R. Goldwyn, & E. Hesse, 2002), representations of relationship with a specific child were assessed with the Working Model of the Child Interview (WMCI; C.H. Zeanah, D. Benoit, & L. Barton, 1986), collected both prenatally and again at infant age 11 months, and infant attachment was assessed in the Strange Situation Procedure (M.D.S. Ainsworth, M.C. Blehar, E. Walters, & S. Wall, 1978) when infants were 11 months of age. Consistent with the prototype hypothesis, considerable correspondence was found between mothers' AAI and WMCI classifications. A mediation analysis showed that WMCI fully accounted for the association between AAI and infant attachment. Postnatal WMCI measured at 11 months' postpartum did not add to the prediction of infant attachment, over and above that explained by the prenatal WMCI. Implications for these findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the environmental influences on infant attachment disorganization and security are well-studied, little is known about their heritability. Candidate gene studies have shown small, often non-replicable effects. In this study, we gathered the largest sample (N = 657) of ethnically homogenous, 14-month-old children with both observed attachment and genome-wide data. First, we used a Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) approach to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with attachment disorganization and security. Second, we annotated them into genes (Versatile Gene-based Association Study) and functional pathways. Our analyses provide evidence of novel genes (HDAC1, ZNF675, BSCD1) and pathways (synaptic transmission, cation transport) associated with attachment disorganization. Similar analyses identified a novel gene (BECN1) but no distinct pathways associated with attachment security. The results of this first extensive, exploratory study on the molecular-genetic basis of infant attachment await replication in large, independent samples. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This prospective study examined whether or not a mother's representations of her infant were more often disrupted after premature childbirth. Furthermore, the study examined if different components of maternal interactive behavior mediated the relation between maternal disrupted representations and infant attachment. The participants were mothers of full-term (n = 75), moderately preterm (n = 68) and very preterm infants (n = 67). Maternal representations were assessed by the Working Model of the Child Interview at 6 months post-partum. Maternal interactive behavior was evaluated at 6 and 24 months post-partum, using the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Early Care Research Network mother-infant observation scales. Infant attachment was observed at 24 months post-partum and was coded by the Attachment Q-Set. The results reveal that a premature childbirth does not necessarily generate disrupted maternal representations of the infant. Furthermore, maternal interactive behavior appears to be an important mechanism through which maternal representations influence the development of infant attachment in full-term and preterm infants. Early assessment of maternal representations can identify mother-infant dyads at risk, in full-term and preterm samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It remains unclear whether infants born preterm are more likely to develop an insecure attachment with their mothers. In this study, instead of using gestational age criteria, we observe attachment in infants born with very low birthweight. Although the collinearity between gestational age and birthweight is high, infants born with very low birthweight for their gestational age tend to stay more days in NICU and to have more comorbidities than other infants with the same gestational age. Thus, we wonder about the impact of low gestational birth (per se) in infants' regulatory behavior, the quality of mother-infant interactions, and attachment security. The participants are 71 infants' weight lower than 1599 g of gestational weight (varying between 23 and 34 weeks of gestational) and their mothers. Dyads were observed in free play and during Face to Face Still-Face paradigm with infants at 3 months of corrected age. At 12 months of corrected age, mother-infant attachment was observed during Strange Situation. Results indicate that infants with low/very low gestational birthweight have high levels of insecure attachment (70 %) and non-positive patterns of regulatory behavior (64 %). Maternal and infant interactive behavior is highly associated with infant attachment. In turn, maternal interactive behavior is associated with gestational age, birthweight, and number of days in NICU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Animal research indicates that the neural substrates of emotion regulation may be persistently altered by early environmental exposures. If similar processes operate in human development then this is significant, as the capacity to regulate emotional states is fundamental to human adaptation. Methods We utilised a 22-year longitudinal study to examine the influence of early infant attachment to the mother, a key marker of early experience, on neural regulation of emotional states in young adults. Infant attachment status was measured via objective assessment at 18-months, and the neural underpinnings of the active regulation of affect were studied using fMRI at age 22 years. Results Infant attachment status at 18-months predicted neural responding during the regulation of positive affect 20-years later. Specifically, while attempting to up-regulate positive emotions, adults who had been insecurely versus securely attached as infants showed greater activation in prefrontal regions involved in cognitive control and reduced co-activation of nucleus accumbens with prefrontal cortex, consistent with relative inefficiency in the neural regulation of positive affect. Conclusions Disturbances in the mother-infant relationship may persistently alter the neural circuitry of emotion regulation, with potential implications for adjustment in adulthood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infant temperament, parenting factors, and aspects of mother-infant interactions have all been demonstrated to influence the early attachment relationship. It has been suggested since attachment is multiply determined, these factors should be evaluated cumulatively as predictors of attachment security. This study examined contributions of child and parent characteristics to infant attachment security. We hypothesized that infant Negative Emotionality (NE) would be linked with attachment security, and that this relationship would be mediated by maternal parenting efficacy and sensitivity in mother-infant interactions. Associations between Positive Affectivity/Surgency (PAS), Orienting/Regulatory Capacity (ORC), and attachment security were also explored. Study design: Longitudinal study including laboratory observation of mother-infant dyads and parent completion of questionnaires. Subjects: 47 mother-infant dyads (26 female infants, 21 male infants) participated in laboratory assessment and questionnaires when the infants were 4 months of age, then provided attachment information at 12 months of age. Attachment security, measured with the abbreviated Attachment Q-Set (AQS). Significant correlations emerged for associations between attachment security, maternal parenting efficacy and sensitivity, but not infant NE. Higher levels of maternal sensitivity and fewer problems with maternal efficacy were associated with more secure attachment. PAS and ORC were both significantly correlated with attachment security at 12 months of age, with higher levels of these infant attributes leading to more secure attachment. Although the proposed mediational model was not supported, these findings suggest the importance of infant temperament and parenting/contextual factors in explaining attachment security, as well as need for their simultaneous consideration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reviews the literature relating to the potential impact of exposure to screen media on the emotional development of infants. The available literature suggests that screen media, in particular television, has a substantially disruptive effect on the quantity and quality of parent-child interactions, which are essential for developing secure attachments. Parental attitudes towards screen media, that is if they are happy to use it as a 'babysitter' or do not see any negative consequences to excessive exposure, are also noted to be major factors in how much screen time children have daily. There is a critical need for evidence-based guidelines for parents and professionals concerning the use of screen media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microanalysis research on 4-month infant–mother face-to-face communication operates like a “social microscope” and identifies aspects of maternal sensitivity and the origins of attachment with a more detailed lens. We hope to enhance a dialogue between these two paradigms, microanalysis of mother–infant communication and maternal sensitivity and emerging working models of attachment. The prediction of infant attachment from microanalytic approaches and their contribution to concepts of maternal sensitivity are described. We summarize aspects of one microanalytic study by Beebe and colleagues published in 2010 that documents new communication patterns between mothers and infants at 4 months that predict future disorganized (vs. secure) attachment. The microanalysis approach opens up a new window on the details of the micro-processes of face-to-face communication. It provides a new, rich set of behaviors with which to extend our understanding of the origins of infant attachment and of maternal sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objective: Recent epidemiological and longitudinal studies indicate that attachment relationships may be a significant predictor of physical health in adulthood. This study is among the few to prospectively link attachment classifications assessed in infancy to physical health outcomes 30 years later in adulthood, controlling for various health-related confounds. Methods: Participants were 163 individuals involved in a 32-year longitudinal study of risk and adaptation who have been followed since birth. Attachment classifications were assessed at ages 12 and 18 months using the Ainsworth Strange Situation Procedure. Stability of attachment security was derived from these assessments. At age 32, participants completed a questionnaire asking about the presence of or treatment for current physical illnesses. Results: Binary logistic regression analyses controlling for health-related confounds at age 32 indicated that individuals who were insecurely attached (i.e., anxious-resistant or anxious-avoidant) during infancy were more likely to report an inflammation-based illness in adulthood than those classified as securely attached during infancy. There also was a trend whereby individuals classified as anxious-resistant reported more nonspecific symptoms in adulthood than those classified as either anxious-avoidant or secure. Individuals who were continuously insecure during infancy were more likely to report all types of physical illness in adulthood. Conclusion: These findings reveal the lasting effect of early interpersonal relationships on physical health and suggests that infancy may be a fruitful point for prevention efforts. The widespread influence that attachment has on endogenous and exogenous health-related processes may make it particularly potent in the prevention of later physical health problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study sought to analyze infant and maternal behavior both during theStrange Situation Procedure (SSP) and a free play session in a Korean sample (N = 87) to help understand whether mother–infant attachment relationships are universal or culture-specific. Distributions of attachment classifications in the Korean sample were compared with a cross-national sample. Behavior of mothers and infants following the two separation episodes in the SSP, including mothers' proximity to their infants and infants' approach to the caregiver, was also observed, as was the association between maternal sensitivity observed during free play session and infant security. The percentage of Korean infants classified as secure versus insecure mirrored the global distribution, however, only one Korean baby was classified as avoidant. Following the separation episodes in the Strange Situation, Korean mothers were more likely than mothers in Ainsworth's Baltimore sample to approach their babies immediately and sit beside them throughout the reunion episodes, even when their babies were no longer distressed. Also, Korean babies less often approached their mothers during reunions than did infants in the Baltimore sample. Finally, the link between maternal sensitivity and infant security was significant. The findings support the idea that the basic secure base function of attachment is universal and the SSP is a valid measure of secure attachment, but cultural differences in caregiving may result in variations in how this function is manifested. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The aim of the present paper was to analyze whether a difference exists in the progress of mental and motor development and the quality of attachment in a sample of preterm infants when receiving the Vojta's physiotherapy technique vs. other therapy techniques. The ages for assessing the mental and motor development were first trimester, 6, 12 and 18 months and for assessing the quality of attachment were 15 months. Their families were attended at different Centres for Infant Development and Early Intervention (CDIAT) from the Region of Murcia since the early months of infants' life. The results revealed that the mental and motor development of infants receiving the Vojta therapy was significantly better, but there was no difference between the two samples in the attachment security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study assessed the stability of atypical caregiver behaviors over six years. The sample included 81 mother-child dyads (27 children with cystic fibrosis, 27 with congenital heart disease, and 27 healthy controls). Attachment was assessed using the Strange Situation paradigm when the child was one year old. Atypical caregiver behaviors were assessed in the Strange Situation paradigm at one year and again in a reunion episode at seven years of age using the Atypical Maternal Behavior Instrument for Assessment and Classification (AMBIANCE). Stability of atypical caregiver behaviors over six years was established. Atypical caregiver behaviors assessed when the child was one year old were related to infant-caregiver disorganized attachment and were not associated with secure infant-caregiverattachment. The current study identifies that atypical caregiver behaviors remain stable over time which suggests that they could be targeted during interventions aimed at preventing or treating disorganized child-caregiver attachment relationships and associated negative outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the quality of maternal mind-mindedness among adult and adolescent mothers, using an assessment of the appropriateness and emotional valence of maternal mind-related comments while interacting with their infants. Twenty-nine adult mothers and 69 adolescent mothers participated in two assessments with their 18-month-old infants. Results showed that adult mothers used more mind-related comments when interacting with their child, especially comments referring to infant mental states. Adult mothers also used more appropriate and positive mind-related comments. Home observations and strange situation assessments revealed that two dimensions of mind-mindedness were associated with maternal sensitivity and three with infant attachment in adult mothers, whereas only one dimension was associated with maternal sensitivity in adolescent mothers. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Within a larger intervention study, attachment was assessed with the Strange Situation Procedure for 30 infants who co-resided with their mothers in a prison nursery. Sixty percent of infants were classified secure, 75% who co-resided a year or more and 43% who co-resided less than a year, all within the range of normative community samples. The year-long co-residing group had significantly more secure and fewer disorganized infants than predicted by their mothers' attachment status, measured by the Adult Attachment Interview, and a significantly greater proportion of secure infants than meta-analyzed community samples of mothers with low income, depression, or drug/alcohol abuse. Using intergenerational data collected with rigorous methods, this study provides the first evidence that mothers in a prison nursery setting can raise infants who are securely attached to them at rates comparable to healthy community children, even when the mother's own internal attachment representation has been categorized as insecure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this study is to describe and analyze the relation between mother's models of attachment, the presence or absence of psychopathology's indicators and infant attachment at the first year of age. Seventy two mothers between the age of 18 and 40 were given the self - questionnaire for adults CAMIR to identify mother's models of attachment and the Outcome Questionnaire OQ-45.2 to obtain a functionality rate in three areas: symptom distress, interpersonal relations and social role. Then they were observed with their babys between the age of 11 and 15 months in the Strange Situation, a standard procedure to assess to infant model of attachment. Results indicated that there isn't a significant association between mother's attachment style and the baby's attachment style, but the maternal psychopathology variable predicted insecurity in baby's attachment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective This randomized control trial examined the effects of a short-term, interaction-focused and attachment-based video-feedback intervention (VIPP: video-feedback intervention to promote positive parenting). Design VIPP effect on mothers' sensitive responsiveness and infant–mother attachment security was evaluated in a sample (n = 54) of low sensitive, non-clinical, middle class Lithuanian mothers. Methods Maternal sensitivity was assessed in a free play session with the Ainsworth's sensitivity scale, and attachment security was observed using the Attachment Q sort for home observations. Results We found that the intervention mothers indeed significantly improved their sensitive responsiveness through participation in our VIPP. The effect size was large according to Cohen's criteria, d = 0.78. VIPP enhanced maternal sensitive responsiveness even when maternal age, educational level, depression, daily hassles, efficacy, infant gender, and infant negative and positive affect were controlled for. However, attachment security in the VIPP infants was not enhanced after the intervention, compared with the control infants, and the infants did not seem to be differentially susceptible to the increase in maternal sensitivity dependent on their temperamental reactivity. Conclusion We suggest that a relatively brief and low-cost programme can provide effective support for mothers who lack sensitivity in the interactions with their infants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A pilot study developed a protocol for use by health visitors in the first six to eight postnatal weeks, and repeated at nine months, to screen for the risks of maternal mental health problems and subsequent attachment difficulties. Based on this pilot, a care pathway scheme was developed to offer targeted service delivery to women and infants needing enhanced support. This paper describes the universal screening programme and care pathway scheme that was developed, and the support offered to deliver care. Central to the pathway is the identification of three levels of concern - low, moderate and high. The assignment of clients to moderate and high concern levels initiates the delivery of additional packages of multi-agency care. The initiative also addresses the need to improve health visitor competence and confidence in detecting and responding effectively to difficulties in mother-infant relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A positive effect of breastfeeding on the mother–infant relationship is often assumed in the scientific literature, but this has not been systematically reviewed. This review aims to clarify the role of breastfeeding in the mother–infant relationship, which is conceptualized as the maternal bond toward the infant and infant attachment toward the mother. Our findings indicate that theoretical mechanisms through which breastfeeding may enhance the maternal bond or infant attachment (i.e., endocrine and sensory factors involved in breastfeeding) can be found in both humans and animal models. However, the few empirical studies investigating this association have not found convincing support for a relation between breastfeeding and the quality of the mother–infant relationship. We therefore conclude that assumptions on a positive role of breastfeeding on the mother–infant relationship are not supported by empirical evidence, and recommendation of breastfeeding should solely be based on its well-documented positive effects on infant and maternal health. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Mother–infant attachment is facilitated in altricial rodents through unique neural mechanisms that include impaired neonatal fear conditioning until the time that pups first begin to leave the nest (sensitive period). Here, we confirmed the developmental emergence of odor fear conditioning in neonatal rat pups, and examined synaptic plasticity of inputs to the basolateral amygdala in vitro. Coronal slices through the amygdala were obtained from sensitive (<10 days) and post-sensitive (>10, <19 days) period pups. Field potentials were recorded in the basolateral amygdala in response to stimulation of either the external capsule (neocortical inputs) or fibers from the cortical nucleus of the amygdala (olfactory inputs). The effects of tetanic stimulation were examined in each pathway. In both pathways, tetanic stimulation induce significant long-term synaptic plasticity in post-sensitive period pups, but no significant plasticity in sensitive period pups incapable of learning odor aversions. GABAA receptor blockade in post-sensitive period slices reverts synaptic plasticity to sensitive period characteristics. The results suggest that sensitive period deficits in fear conditioning may be related to impaired amygdala synaptic plasticity and the immature state of GABAergic inhibition and/or its modulation in the neonatal amygdala. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In many primate species a close attachment between mother and infant provides a secure base for the infant when the infant is frightened or under stress. In cooperatively breeding primates infant carrying is divided among several individuals in the group, with the mother often doing little more than nursing. In these species it is not clear which individual would best serve as a secure base for the infant. We studied eight infant cotton-top tamarins from birth through 20 weeks of age, noting who carried the infant during the first 100 days, who transferred food with the infants, and, as infants became independent, with whom they associated during social play and affiliative behavior. From week 9 to week 20, when infants were independent of carriers most of the time, we presented families with six trials (once every 2 weeks) with a threatening stimulus (a human dressed in a lab coat and wearing an animal mask). Infants played primarily with their twin or youngest sibling and had affiliative interactions with many family members. However, in fearful situations, infants ran to those who had carried them and transferred food with them the most–their father or oldest brother (never to the mother). Although adults increased rates of mobbing calls in response to the threat, infants significantly reduced their vocalization rate. For these cooperatively breeding monkeys, the attachment object for infants is the family member that invested the most effort in carrying the infant and transferring food with the infant. These results parallel and extend results from bi-parental infant care species in which the father serves as the primary attachment figure. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present research explored the role of synchrony as a mediator of the relationship between marital satisfaction and infant attachment, and between depressive symptoms and infant attachment. Fifteen father–infant and mother–infant dyads were videotaped in face-to-face interactions. Videotaped interactions were coded for frequency of synchronized interactions. Quality of attachment was assessed several months later using the Waters’ Attachment Q-sort (AQS). Tests of mediation revealed that synchrony accounts for the relation between marital quality and infant attachment to fathers, and between depressive symptoms and level of attachment to mothers. Finally, demographic variables associated with work and family role strain were explored as potential correlates of marital dissatisfaction and depressive symptoms. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective: The aim of this paper was to review the literature on attachment and child maltreatment in relation to the intergenerational transmission of maltreatment. Method: A review of the literature to date was undertaken, and a descriptive analysis of 13 studies on the quality of attachment in maltreated samples was conducted. Results: Quality of infant attachment seems to be in the most part dependent upon the sensitiveness of the mother. Not surprisingly the majority of studies demonstrates that on average maltreated children are less securely attached to their mothers than nonmaltreated children. This early mother-infant relationship is said to be internalized by the child and consequently form a prototype to which all future relationships are assimilated. Thus maltreated children may have problems forming relationships with peers, partners and their own children. Conclusions: It is suggested that this is the primary process by which maltreatment continues from one generation to the next. The implications of this process for the prediction and prevention of childhood maltreatment are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primiparous women were divided into groups according to their post-partum trait anxiety scores. Professional or non-professional support for the first 12 months was offered to two subgroups of high trait anxiety subjects. At the 5-year follow-up the high-anxiety mothers ( n= 57) manifested more psychological and social pathology than moderate- and low-anxiety mothers ( n= 43), and their children also showed signs of poorer adaptation. There was evidence of improved outcome for mothers in the professional intervention group, but not for their children. Child psychopathology was predicted best by maternal psychosocial variables, and to a lesser extent by child temperament variables. The relation of infant attachment and temperament measures to subsequent psychopathology is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]