Attachment Security among Families in Poverty: Maternal, Child, and Contextual Characteristics.

This study examined the relationship of multiple domains of the child's environment and attachment security within a socioeconomically at-risk sample of 101 families. Mothers65% percent of whom were Latinaand their children who were in a home visitor program or on the waiting list for the program were visited at home. Measures included observer assessments of maternal sensitivity, mother sorts of the Attachment Q-Set, the Parenting Stress Index, a questionnaire on beliefs about parental involvement in children's learning and parental efficacy, and a measure of children's learning environments. Findings indicated that maternal, child, and contextual variables were significantly associated with attachment security. Lower levels of maternal sensitivity, difficult child temperament, parental stress, and an inadequate supply of play materials in the home were related to lower levels of attachment security. The provision of play materials in the home mediated the relationship between maternal sensitivity and attachment security. (Author/HTH)