Infant Irritability, Mother Responsiveness, and Social Support Influences on the Security of Infant-Mother Attachment

Abstract

This study investigates the influence of infant irritability, maternal responsiveness, and social support on the development of secure and anxious infant-mother attachments at 1 year. Infant irritability was assessed during the neonatal period using the Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale, maternal responsiveness to crying was measured during observations at 3 months, and social support was based on interviews also conducted at 3 months. Security of attachment measures were derived from strange-situation videotapes. Results indicate that social support is the best predictor of secure attachment, and that it is most important for mothers with irritable babies. Maternal unresponsiveness is associated with resistance during reunion episodes and appears to be a mechanism through which anxious attachment develops. Some evidence suggests that social support may mitigate the effects of unresponsive mothering by providing the infant with a responsive substitute. Results are discussed in terms of a transactional/contextual model of development.

Risk factors for disruption in primary caregiving among infants of substance abusing women

“…Thus, the DC group of women had greater stressors in their life and were coping less adequately with their addiction than the nonDC group. Maternal stress and lack of social support can interfere with parenting, even when drug abuse is not present (Crnic, Greenberg, Ragozin, Robinson, & Basham, 1983;Crockenberg, 1981;Stevens, 1988). Drug abusing women who are under high levels of stress may be even less able to take advantage of available resources.…”

“…Intervention programs should be comprehensive, theoretically based on adaptive models of parenting, focus on maternal needs, and provide psychosocial support and parenting skills to women and their families, not just referral to drug treatment (Black et al, 1994;Olds, 1992;Olds & Kitzman, 1990). In addition, interventions must involve the family, as defined by the mother, because the support provided by the family is often crucial for the well-being of both mothers and children and should be well coordinated with other service systems to ensure access to medical care and social services (Crnic, Greenberg, Ragozin, Robinson, & Basham, 1983;Crockenberg, 1981;Stevens, 1988).…”

Social support and education groups for single mothers: a randomized controlled trial of a community-based program

“…Social support exerts a broad positive influence on personal health, [23][24][25] maternal-child relations, child psychosocial functioning and family functioning. [26][27][28][29][30] Maternal education about child development can lead to improved child competence, academic test performance and intelligence quotients. [31][32][33][34] Parent management training, both group based and individually tailored, has been shown to have a positive effect on parenting and on children's emotional and behavioural adjustment.…”

Sympathy in the context of mother-child and teacher-child relationships

“…For example, Crockenberg (1981) stated that "children who are irritable or in other ways less rewarding/more demanding of their parents are at risk for later developmental difficulty only if their environments are deficient in meeting their special needs" (p. 864). Similarly, Dienstbier (1984, cited in Kochanska, 1991, p. 1380 hypothesised that anxious children would be more responsive to socialisation efforts.…”