Child-Mother Attachment and the Self in Six-Year-Olds

Abstract

Bowlby has proposed that child-parent attachment is important in the child's representation of self. In this study, the child's representation of self was examined in connection with child-mother attachment in a sample of 52 white, middle-class 6-year-olds. Children were seen in 2 play sessions, 1 month apart. Quality of attachment was assessed in each session based on the child's behavior on reunion following a laboratory separation of approximately 1 hour, using a system devised by Main and Cassidy. Aggregated attachment ratings and classifications were assigned based on the child's behavior in both reunions. Assessments of the self consisted of (a) assessment of the self within the relationship with the attachment figure (an incomplete doll stories procedure), (b) assessment of the child's perceptions of how an unspecified "other" views him or her (a puppet interview), (c) direct assessment of global self-esteem independent of the attachment relationship (the subscale of global self-esteem from Harter's Perceived Competence Scale for Children), (d) a second direct assessment of global self-esteem (an interview with the child), and (e) assessment of feelings of competence and acceptance in specific domains that may be precursors of self-esteem (Harter's Scale of Perceived Competence and Social Acceptance for Young Children). Significant, albeit modest, connections between attachment and the self were established; furthermore, specific patterns of self-perceptions were related to particular patterns of attachment.

Using Semi-Projective Doll Play Methods to Classify Middle Childhood Children Into Four Attachment Types: Types Associations With Distinctive Psychosocial Adaptation

“…Solomon, George, and De Jong (1995) found associations between the four attachment groups based on the doll play procedure and the pattern of attachment reunion behavior toward the mothers of 6-year-old children (Cassidy, 1988). Cassidy (1988) found predictive validity showing strong associations between doll play attachment classification and different measures of self-esteem. Finally, Goldwyn, Stanley, Smith, and Green (2000) found a clear association between 5-7 year-old children's doll play-based disorganized attachment classification and concurrent maternal Adult Attachment Interview-Unresolved (AAI-U) status, as well as teachers' rating of behavior problems.…”

“…In addition to developing classification indicators, researchers have examined the concurrent and predictive validity of early childhood doll play attachment classifications. Bretherton, Ridgeway, and Cassidy (1990) found significant associations between secure/insecure attachment representations in doll play and concurrent attachment classifications in reunion behaviors of 3.5-year-olds (Cassidy, 1988). Solomon, George, and De Jong (1995) found associations between the four attachment groups based on the doll play procedure and the pattern of attachment reunion behavior toward the mothers of 6-year-old children (Cassidy, 1988).…”

“…Bretherton, Ridgeway, and Cassidy (1990) found significant associations between secure/insecure attachment representations in doll play and concurrent attachment classifications in reunion behaviors of 3.5-year-olds (Cassidy, 1988). Solomon, George, and De Jong (1995) found associations between the four attachment groups based on the doll play procedure and the pattern of attachment reunion behavior toward the mothers of 6-year-old children (Cassidy, 1988). Cassidy (1988) found predictive validity showing strong associations between doll play attachment classification and different measures of self-esteem.…”

“…In the story completions, these aspects could be reflected in verbal and nonverbal (physical contact, moving away) communication between the protagonist and the caregiver figures. Delineation of the attachment types were based on the integration of three classification schemes developed by Cassidy (1988), Bretherton et al (1990), and Solomon, George, and De Jong (1995). In utilizing the adaptation process, we developed a new coding and administration manuals and conducted a workshop procedure to achieve high interjudge agreement (all three apparatuses used in Kerns, Schlegelmich, Morgan, and Abraham (2005), see p. 64).…”

Evaluación De Las Representaciones Mentales De Apego a Través De Las Historias Incompletas: Aplicación Española De Story Stem Assessment Profile (Ssap)

“…De entre los distintos procedimientos desarrollados (Bretherton et al, 1990;Cassidy, 1988;Green, Stanley, Smith, & Goldwyn, 2000;Sierra, Carrasco, Moya, & Del Valle, 2011), el de Bretherton, Oppenheim, Buchsbaum, Emde, & The MacArthur Narrative Group (2003), llamado MacArthur Story Stem Battery (MSSB) ha sido el más utilizado para, com 14 historias incompletas, evaluar las representaciones infantiles de apego, aunque carece de un protocolo sistematizado para su aplicación y codificación (Bettmann & Lundahl, 2007). Para superar limitaciones de las técnicas existentes y dotarla de mayor sensibilidad para evaluar las representaciones de apego tras experiencias de adversidad temprana, Hodges, Steele, Hillman y Henderson (2003) diseñaron la técnica Story Stem Assessment Profile (SSAP), en la que está centrado este trabajo.…”