Emotion regulation as a mediator of associations between mother–child attachment and peer relationships in middle childhood.

Abstract

Although a link between attachment and peer relationships has been established, the mechanisms that account for this link have not been identified. The 1st goal of this study was to test emotion regulation as a mediator of this link in middle childhood. The 2nd goal was to examine how different aspects of emotion regulation relate to peer competence. Fifth graders completed self-report and semiprojective measures to index mother-child attachment, mothers reported on children's emotionality and coping strategies, and teachers reported on children's peer competence. Constructive coping was related to both attachment and peer competence, and mediated the association between attachment and peer competence, suggesting that emotion regulation is one of the mechanisms accounting for attachment-peer links. Constructive coping was more strongly associated with peer competence for children high on negative emotionality than for children low on negative emotionality. According to attachment theory, the quality of parent-child attachments has implications for the nature of children's interactions and relationships with people outside the family, including peers (Bowlby, 1973; Sroufe & Fleeson, 1986). Numerous studies have confirmed a link between parent-child attachment and the quality of peer relationships. Attachment security in mother-child relationships (and, in some studies, father-child relationships) has been related to traitlike patterns of behavior around peers such as tendencies to be aggressive or sociable

Attachment, Emotion Regulation and Coping in Portuguese Emerging Adults: A Test of a Mediation Hypothesis

“…It is worth mentioning that these remaining direct paths involve coping strategies that can be seen as more close to internal working models of self (e.g., Active/Reflexive and Avoidant), and others (Seeking Support) (Ognibene & Collins, 1998), as well as internalized features of attachment experiences (e.g., attachment strategies). Consistent with previous research, having an emotional close and confident relationship with parents and feeling this relationship as a source of support and comfort, seems to be a learning context for emotion regulation and coping processes (Contreras, Kerns, Weimer, Gentzler, & Tomich, 2000;Wei, Vogel, Tsun-Yao Ku, & Zakalik, 2005). Although the measure used asked participants to report on their present relationships, current attachment relationships are argue to be influenced, at some extent, by past and early interactions (Shaver & Mikulincer, 2002;Sroufe, 2005).…”

Mother–child attachment and social anxiety symptoms in middle childhood

“…Children with more secure attachments are also better at regulating their emotions, using more constructive coping strategies such as problem solving and seeking support from others, than are less secure children Contreras, Kerns, Weimer, Gentzler, & Tomich, 2000;Thomson, 2001). Peer relationships and emotion regulation have also been linked to anxiety.…”

Change in attachment predicts change in emotion regulation particularly among 5-HTTLPR short-allele homozygotes.

“…Nevertheless, available evidence indicates that greater attachment security in 8-to 12-year-olds is associated, contemporaneously, with more competent emotional coping strategies (Contreras, Kerns, Weimer, Gentzler, & Tomich, 2000;Kerns, Abraham, Schlegelmilch, & Morgan, 2007), enhanced emotion identification (Brumariu, Kerns, & Seibert, 2012), increased regulation of threat-induced reactivity (Borelli et al, 2010), and more mature selection of emotion regulation strategies when confronted with hypothetical challenges (Colle & Del Giudice, 2011). However, we would be remiss not to acknowledge that Kim and Page (2013) failed to detect links between attachment and emotional regulation in this age group.…”