Self-reported romantic attachment style predicts everyday maternal caregiving behavior at home
JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN PERSONALITY, vol.44, no.4, pp.544-549, 2010 (SSCI, Scopus)
- Publication Type: Article / Article
- Volume: 44 Issue: 4
- Publication Date: 2010
- Doi Number: 10.1016/j.jrp.2010.05.007
- Journal Name: JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN PERSONALITY
- Journal Indexes: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus
- Page Numbers: pp.544-549
- Keywords: Adult attachment style, Maternal caregiving, Q-sort, Attachment anxiety, Attachment avoidance, Home observation, ADULT ATTACHMENT, CHILDHOOD, SECURITY, INFANCY, MODELS
- Bursa Uludag University Affiliated: No
Abstract
Although numerous studies examined how individual differences in mothers' discourse about their early attachment experiences are associated with their caregiving behaviors toward their children, research examining how self-reported romantic attachment style is associated with maternal caregiving has been very limited. To help fill this gap, we examined whether self-reported romantic attachment style is associated with maternal caregiving behaviors observed in home settings. Mother-child interactions were observed for three hours and the mothers completed measures of attachment style and child temperament. Results indicated that attachment-related avoidance, but not attachment-related anxiety, was negatively associated with global maternal sensitivity, after controlling for the child's temperament. Consistent with the propositions of attachment theory, both attachment-related avoidance and anxiety were associated with specific caregiving themes. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.