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]