Temperament and attachment security in the strange situation: an empirical rapprochement

In response to Frodi and Thompson's recent demonstration that infants classified A1-B2 in the Strange Situation differ significantly in emotional expression from infants classified B3-C2, several longitudinal data sets were examined to determine whether these group differences might be a function of infant temperament. Data from 3 separate samples revealed significant concordance between infant-mother and infant-father Strange Situation classifications when scored in terms of A1-B2 versus B3-C2, but not when scored in terms of the traditional A-B-C system. In addition, in 2 samples on which newborn behavioral data were available, A1-B2 infants displayed more autonomic stability than B3-C2 infants, and in one of the samples the former infants were more alert and positively responsive as newborns (with means in the same direction in Sample 2). Moreover, mothers of A1-B2 infants described their babies as less difficult to care for at 3 months of age. Considered together, these findings suggest that infant temperament affects the manner in which security or insecurity is expressed rather than whether or not the infant develops a secure or insecure attachment. These findings are discussed in terms of their implications for the study of the interactional antecedents and the developmental consequences of attachment security.     

Application of the strange situation attachment paradigm to a neurologically impaired population

Mother-infant attachment was studied in 24 mother/impaired infant dyads. The infants, from 12 to 26 months chronological age, manifested primary neurological impairment or undiagnosed delay in gross and fine motor development. Measures of general development and degree of child impairment significantly differentiated "classifiability" of attachment in the Ainsworth scheme; thus, the most severely impaired infants were rated "not classifiable." For those infants who were fully classifiable (80% of the sample), only 1 measure of general development or degree of impairment differentiated quality of attachment classification. Infants rated higher on a measure of social responsiveness were more likely to possess secure attachments than those receiving lower ratings on the measure.     

Infants' affective responses in the strange situation: effects of prematurity and of quality of attachment

20 full-term and 20 preterm infants and their mothers were videotaped in the Strange Situation, and the security of their attachment relationships was later determined. Each episode was subsequently divided into consecutive 15-sec intervals, during each of which ratings of facial expressions were performed. From these ratings several summary dimensions of affect were derived (e.g., affective peak and range during all episodes, latency and rise time for onset of distress during separation episodes, and recovery time during reunions). Term and preterm infants did not differ from one another in either the security of attachment or their affective expression and regulation. When groups were combined, patterns of affective expression were significantly different for infants classified as insecure-avoidant, insecure-ambivalent, and securely attached, as well as for group B1 + B2 infants compared to group B3 + B4 babies. The findings indicated that attachment-related affect may reflect an affect continuum that underlies certain mother- and stranger-directed behaviors in the Strange Situation, but that not all aspects of reunion behavior can be predicted by prior separation reactions.     

Adult attachment, parent emotion, and observed parenting behavior: mediator and moderator models

In a middle-class sample of mothers of 2-year-olds, adult attachment classifications measured in the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) were related to maternal self-reported emotional well-being and observed parenting behavior, and the potential mediating and moderating roles of maternal emotion were tested. Mothers classified as dismissing on the AAI reported significantly lower levels of positive affectivity. Mothers classified as preoccupied reported significantly higher levels of negative affectivity and anxiety. Preoccupied mothers were observed to be significantly higher on angry/intrusive parenting, but this association was not mediated by attachment-related differences in maternal emotion. Maternal emotional well-being did, however, moderate the associations between adult attachment and parenting behavior: Dismissing attachment was significantly associated with lower warmth/responsiveness only among mothers with higher levels of depressive symptoms.     

Childhood experiences of maltreatment,reflective functioning and attachment in adolescent and young adult mothers: Effects on mother-infant interaction and emotion regulation

BackgroundMaternal childhood experiences of maltreatment affect parenting and have consequences for a child’s social-emotional development. Adolescent mothers have a higher frequency of a history of maltreatment than adult mothers. However few studies have analyzed the interactions between adolescent mothers with a history of childhood maltreatment and their infants.ObjectiveThe aim of the study was to examine the effect of maternal childhood experiences of maltreatment on mother-infant emotion regulation at infant 3 months, considering both infant and mother individual emotion regulation and their mutual regulation.ParticipantsParticipants were 63 adolescent and young adult mother-infant dyads recruited at a hospital.MethodsThe mothers were administered the Adult Attachment Interview to evaluate reflective functioning and attachment and the Childhood Experiences of Care and Abuse was used to evaluate maternal childhood experiences of maltreatment. Mother-infant interactions were coded with a modified version of the Infant Caregiver Engagement Phases.ResultsDyads with mothers with childhood maltreatment (vs dyads with mothers with no maltreatment) spent more time in negative emotional mutual regulation (p = .009) and less time in positive and neutral mutual emotion regulation (p = .019). Cumulative maternal childhood experiences of maltreatment were associated positively with mother and infant negative states at individual and dyadic level and with the AAI scales of Passivity and Unresolved Trauma (p < .05). The effect of cumulative maternal childhood experiences of maltreatment on mother-infant emotion regulation was direct and not mediated by maternal attachment and reflective function.ConclusionsMaternal childhood experiences of maltreatment increase the risk connected to early motherhood, affecting mother-infant emotion regulation.     

Signs of attachment disorders and social functioning among early adolescents with a history of institutional care

BackgroundInstitutional rearing is associated with increased risk for reactive attachment disorder (RAD) and disinhibited social engagement disorder (DSED). Disorders of attachment involve disturbances in children’s primary caregiving relationships, and are likely to disturb multiple domains of social functioning.ObjectiveTo examine associations between signs of RAD and DSED and social functioning in early adolescence.Participants and settingOur participants were 110 children with a history of institutional rearing and 50 community comparison adolescents from the Bucharest Early Intervention Project, based in Bucharest, Romania. Participants were assessed at age 12 years (M age in years = 12.80, SD = 0.71).MethodSigns of RAD and DSED were obtained through caregiver report. Reports of social functioning were provided by caregivers and teachers. General and specific domains of social functioning were identified using bi-factor modeling. A general social functioning factor and four specific factors were revealed: peer conflict, caregiver views as victim, teacher views as victim, and social competence.ResultsSigns of RAD predicted poorer general social functioning (β=-0.36, p < .01, 95% confidence interval [CI] [-.33, -.09]) and poorer social competence (β=-0.38, p < .01, 95% CI[-0.05, -.01]) above and beyond time spent in institutional care and placement disruptions. Signs of DSED (β=-0.38, p < .001, 95% CI[-0.49, -.16]) along with placement disruptions (β=-0.22, p < .05, 95% CI[-.29, -.01]) predicted poorer general social functioning above and beyond time spent in institutional care. Signs of DSED predicted higher scores on caregiver views as victim (β = 0.29, p < .05, 95% CI[0.02, 0.14]) and lower scores on social competence (β=-0.29, p < .01, 95% CI[-.06, -.01]) above and beyond time spent in institutional care and placement disruptions.ConclusionsAttachment disorder signs in early adolescence are problematic for social functioning, although the manifestation of these social difficulties differs based on whether RAD or DSED signs are present.     

Contextualizing the effects of childhood sexual abuse on adult self- and social functioning: an attachment theory perspective

OBJECTIVE: This retrospective survey study explored the hypothesis that multiple maltreatment and loss experiences in early childhood would interfere with the formation of secure attachments, creating (1) an increased vulnerability to childhood sexual abuse (CSA), and (2) adult problems in self- and social functioning. METHOD: Data were collected from 687 undergraduates on an urban, commuter campus. They were analyzed by means of between group (individuals with and without CSA histories) and within group (individuals with CSA histories) path analytic models. RESULTS: The number of maltreatment and loss experiences encountered in early childhood predicted greater CSA frequency in childhood and increased maltreatment in adulthood in the form of more frequent reports of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse. Childhood maltreatment and loss experiences also predicted poor adult self-functioning in the form of higher levels of depression and lower levels of self-esteem. Self-blame in response to CSA and maltreatment in adult relationships also predicted poorer adult self- and social functioning for individuals with CSA histories. CONCLUSIONS: Findings support both direct and mediational effects of childhood maltreatment and loss experiences on adult self- and social functioning and are consistent with predictions derived from attachment theory.     

Communication apprehension,social preference,and social behavior in a college environment

An investigation of high and low communication apprehensives in a college environment indicated that high communication apprehensives interact less with peer strangers, are less likely to accept a blind date, have fewer dates, are more likely to engage in exclusive dating, have close relationships with fewer faculty, are less satisfied with a university's advising system, and are less satisfied with the college environment. These results are examined within the context of the Berger‐Calabrese developmental theory of interpersonal communication and an extension of that theory is tentatively advanced.     

Matching behavior of honeybees in a multiple-choice situation: The differential effect of environmental stimuli on the choice process

The matching behavior of honeybees in a patch of four artificial feeders was studied under two different environmental conditions in order to examine the involvement of different stimuli in the choice process. Matching fails if all nearby landmarks are removed but can, under certain conditions, be restored by subsequently introducing odors, colors, or landmarks showing that there is no unique stimulus modality that provides matching. We propose two fundamentally different memory processes, both of which affect feeding behavior and support matching. We suggest that in one case, the probability of choice is determined by the strength of direct associations between locally perceived odor stimuli and reward rates. In the second case, simultaneously perceived color stimuli predict the relative reward rates indirectly by the spatial representation of the four feeders. Both memory processes are likely to interact and lead to efficient feeding behavior during foraging under natural conditions.     

Peer attachment, coping, and self-esteem in institutionalized adolescents: the mediating role of social skills

This study analyzes the contribution of peer attachment in predicting active coping and self-esteem in a sample of 109 institutionalized adolescents. It also explores the mediating role of social skills in the association between peer attachment, coping, and self-esteem. Structural equation modeling identified a model able to predict a positive and direct contribution of peer relationships on self-esteem. Results confirmed the mediating role of social skills but only between quality of peer attachment and the development of active coping. From an ecological perspective, quality of relationships with significant peer figures can contribute to the development of a secure base, especially in adolescents without family support. Consequently, institutionalized adolescents who perceive quality in their peer relationships seem to be more able to express their feelings and ideas. As a result, they can become able to establish positive and empathic relationships with others, which can lead to the development of active coping skills. The quality of peer relationships can also increase the self-esteem of these adolescents because they feel they have a source of personal support and can share their difficulties.     

Masculinity,educational achievement and social status: a social network analysis

This study utilises a quantitative case study social network approach to explore the connection between masculinity and scholastic achievement in two secondary, all-boys schools in Australia. In both schools two social networks representing social status are explored: the friendship network as a measure of status that includes emotional investment, and the influence network as a measure of status without emotion. Results demonstrate that for both schools the friendship network is not associated with academic achievement, though boys with similar levels of academic application cluster together. However, for the influence network there are effects related to achievement, application and attitudes toward an anti-academic/masculinity connection, as too toward ethno-cultural background. The results differ by school and show the importance of local context. However, similarities in the schools show that masculine identities may be engaged in the social interactions of students, ones which engage masculine stereotypes in public but not in private.     

Social information processing, security of attachment, and emotion regulation in children with learning disabilities

This study examined the contribution of attachment security and emotion regulation (ER) to the explanation of social information processing (SIP) in middle childhood boys with learning disabilities (LD) and without LD matched on age and grade level. Children analyzed four social vignettes using Dodge's SIP model and completed the Kerns security scale and the children's self-control scale. Study results demonstrated major difficulties in SIP, lower attachment security, and less ER in children with LD compared to children without LD. Attachment as well as the interaction between attachment and ER emerged as important contributors to most SIP steps, suggesting that children with higher security who also have better ER skills will have better SIP capabilities along the different steps, beyond group inclusion. Results were discussed in terms of practical and clinical implications regarding the importance of mother-child attachment and ER skills for social cognitive capabilities in children with LD.     

Relationship of public preferences and behavior in residential outdoor spaces using analytic hierarchy process and principal component analysis—— a case study of Hangzhou City, China

INTRODUCTION Nowadays, as a large number of residential blocks and college campuses are being constructed nationwide in China, improvement in the quality of residential community becomes a rising issue of city policy and urban planning. Layouts of open spaces in residential areas are predicated on their ability to deliver both a mechanism to maintain the viability of citizens’ outdoor lives and a treatment to alleviate the high-density of urban constructions. What kinds of residential o…     

Autonomy and adolescent social functioning: the moderating effect of risk

This study examined the moderating effect of risk on the relation between autonomy processes and family and adolescent functioning. The present sample comprised 131 adolescents from either a low-risk or high-risk social context, their mothers, and their peers. Observational ratings of autonomy processes within the mother-adolescent dyad were obtained, along with adolescent reports of the quality of the mother-adolescent relationship, and both adolescent and peer reports of the adolescent's functioning. Consistent with past research, in low-risk families, behavior undermining autonomy was negatively related to relationship quality, and adolescents' expressions of autonomy were linked with positive indices of social functioning. In high-risk families, however, undermining of autonomy was positively linked with mother-adolescent relationship quality, and adolescents' expressions of autonomy were linked with negative indices of social functioning. Results are interpreted as demonstrating the ways in which the developmental task of attaining autonomy in adolescence is systematically altered depending on the level of risk and challenge in the adolescent's social context.     

Help-seeking behavior in a problem-solving situation: Development of self-regulation

The development of self-regulation in school-aged children's help-seeking behavior was studied in a Vygotskian framework. It was hypothesized that studying pupils of two different ages would make it possible to define two levels reached by the children in their capacity to take charge of their help-seeking behavior. When placed in a problem-solving situation, children (80 2nd-graders and 87 4th-graders) had the opportunity to seek help from the experimenter, if needed. Three self-regulation aspects were evaluated: (1) awareness of the need for help, (2) capacity to restrict questions to what is necessary, and (3) ability to re-use received help in analogous tasks. The results showed that the level of self-regulation depended on both age and academic achievement; only high-achieving 4th-graders exhibited advanced capacities of self-regulation.     

Inequality in social capital: social capital,social risk and drop-out in the Turkish education system

This article examines the effects of social capital on the likelihood of dropping out from the compulsory education system (Grades One through Eight) in Turkey. It focuses on the question of whether school-related social capital can provide the means to stay in school in the presence of risk factors such as socioeconomic status, race, or gender that cannot be easily modified. Despite major progress in enrollment rates due to policies enacted in recent years, the overall drop-out rate in compulsory education is close to 15% in Turkey. Data collected from 764 student–mother pairs show that drop-outs are exposed to higher number of social risk factors. We further illustrate that school-related social capital, as measured by quality of in-school teacher–student interactions as well as parental involvement in school, significantly and positively contributes to adolescents’ likelihood of staying in school even in the presence of severe social inequalities.     

Peer groups, popularity, and social preference: trajectories of social functioning among students with and without learning disabilities

The extant literature on the social functioning of students with learning disabilities (LD) has indicated that whereas a majority belong to peer groups, a higher proportion are isolated and most have lower social status among peers in general than their typically achieving classmates. Although some work has examined these issues over short-term longitudinal studies, none to date have examined them over extensive time periods. Toward this end, the current study examined a sample of 1,361 students (678 girls and 683 boys; 55 with LD) using multiple measures of peer social functioning assessed each semester from spring of third grade through fall of sixth grade. The results indicated that whereas students with LD were similar to their typically achieving peers in terms of group functioning and characteristics, they were viewed as lower in social standing among their classmates as a whole. These effects were maintained over time, indicating that long-term inclusion may not substantially affect peer social functioning among students with LD.     

African American and European American children in diverse elementary classrooms: social integration, social status, and social behavior

With a sample of African American and European American 3rd- and 4th-grade children (N = 486, ages 8-11 years), this study examined classroom ethnic composition, peer social status (i.e., social preference and perceived popularity as nominated by same- and cross-ethnicity peers), and patterns of ethnic segregation (i.e., friendship, peer group, and cross-ethnicity dislike). African American--but not European American--children had more segregated relationships and were more disliked by cross-ethnicity peers when they had fewer same-ethnicity classmates. African American children's segregation was positively associated with same-ethnicity social preference and perceived popularity and with cross-ethnicity perceived popularity. European American children's segregation was positively associated with same-ethnicity social preference but negatively associated with cross-ethnicity social preference and perceived popularity.