Is the Secure Base Phenomenon Evident Here, There, and Anywhere? A Cross‐Cultural Study of Child Behavior and Experts’ Definitions

Posada, Germán; Lü, Ting; Trumbell, Jill M.; Kaloustian, Garene; Trudel, Marcel; Plata, Sandra; Pena, Paola; Pérez, J. Carola; Tereno, Susana; Dugravier, Romain; Coppola, Gabrielle; Constantini, Alessandro; Cassibba, Rosalinda; Kondo-Ikemura, Kiyomi; Nóblega, Magaly; Haya, Ines M.; Pedraglio, Claudia; Veríssimo, Manuela; Santos, António J.; Monteiro, Lí­gia; Lay, Keng-Ling

doi:10.1111/cdev.12084

Cited by 46 publications

(41 citation statements)

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“…There have also been a number of other developments concerning the AQS since the 2004 meta‐analysis. It has continued to be translated into different languages (e.g., De Falco et al, ) and used in a wider range of countries (Posada et al, ). A number of shortened versions of the AQS have been developed (e.g., De Schipper, Stolk, & Schuengel, ), most notably the TAS‐45 (Kirkland, Bimler, Drawneek, McKim, & Schölmerich, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reassessing the validity of the attachment Q‐sort: An updated meta‐analysis

Cadman

Diamond

Fearon

2017

Infant and Child Development

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A 2004 meta‐analysis reported good validity for the observer attachment Q‐sort (AQS), but poor validity for the parental self‐report version. Despite this, the self‐report AQS is still widely used, with researchers arguing that providing additional training can improve its validity. The aim of this study was to update the 2004 meta‐analysis. Two hundred forty‐five studies from 1987 to 2016 were included (n = 32,426). Separate meta‐analyses were conducted to examine validity and reliability. The observer AQS showed moderate convergent validity with the Strange Situation Procedure (r = .25; r = .39 for long observation periods) and good predictive validity in terms of associations with sensitivity (r = .32). It showed a relatively weak association with infant temperament (r = .21), suggesting some discriminant validity. The self‐report version showed comparable convergent validity with Strange Situation Procedure (r = .18), but significantly weaker correlations with sensitivity (r = .25) and stronger correlations with temperament (r = .33). There was no evidence that providing additional training improved the validity of the self‐report version. This study corroborates the previous finding that the observer AQS is a valid measure of infant attachment, especially after long periods of observation. The self‐report version showed significantly weaker discriminant and predictive validity. Highlights The aim of the study was to update the 2004 meta‐analysis assessing the validity of the attachment Q‐Sort (AQS). This study broadly replicated the findings of the previous meta-analysis, showing that the observer AQS is a valid measure of attachment. Caution should be shown in using the self-report AQS due to its comparatively weaker predictive and discriminate validity.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reassessing the validity of the attachment Q‐sort: An updated meta‐analysis

Cadman

Diamond

Fearon

2017

Infant and Child Development

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“…Although the number of cross-cultural studies is still limited, empirical research indeed provides some support for the universality of the major tenets of attachment theory, with evidence for the universality hypothesis that across the world, (virtually) all infants become attached to one or more specific caregivers, and the normativity hypothesis that secure attachment is the most common form of attachment across cultures (Mesman, Van IJzendoorn, & SagiSchwartz, in press). In addition, there is evidence that maternal beliefs about the ideal child overlap considerably with the notion of secure-base behavior and show high agreement across cultures (Posada et al, 1995(Posada et al, , 2013; see also Sternberg & Lamb, 1992). Cross-cultural research on the tenets of attachment theory has mostly focused on child behaviors, and less attention has been paid to the parental side of the attachment coin.…”

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confidence: 99%

Is the ideal mother a sensitive mother? Beliefs about early childhood parenting in mothers across the globe

Mesman

IJzendoorn

Behrens

et al. 2016

International Journal of Behavioral Development

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107

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In this article, we test the hypothesis that beliefs about the ideal mother are convergent across cultures and that these beliefs overlap considerably with attachment theory's notion of the sensitive mother. In a sample including 26 cultural groups from 15 countries around the globe, 751 mothers sorted the Maternal Behavior Q-Set to reflect their ideas about the ideal mother. The results show strong convergence between maternal beliefs about the ideal mother and attachment theory's description of the sensitive mother across groups. Cultural group membership significantly predicted variations in maternal sensitivity belief scores, but this effect was substantially accounted for by group variations in socio-demographic factors. Mothers living in rural versus urban areas, with a low family income, and with more children, were less likely to describe the ideal mother as highly sensitive. Cultural group membership did remain a significant predictor of variations in maternal sensitivity belief scores above and beyond socio-demographic predictors. The findings are discussed in terms of the universal and culture-specific aspects of the sensitivity construct.

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“…cross-context generality of secure base behavior and the links between maternal sensitivity and infant security in 1 to 5 year olds from different cultures (Posada et al, 1995(Posada et al, , 2002(Posada et al, , 2013. Further, and central to the aims of this paper, we have studied whether Ainsworth's methodology and her conclusions regarding qualities of maternal care are relevant when investigating child-mother attachment relationships in different social and cultural contexts, and at different ages.…”

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confidence: 99%

Piecing together the sensitivity construct: ethology and cross-cultural research

Posada

2013

Attachment & Human Development

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Although Ainsworth and Bowlby's perspective on attachment relationships has instinctive underpinnings, they also recognized variability in the ways caregiving is implemented in different ecologies. Ainsworth's naturalistic observations in two different societies provided early evidence about the development of infant-mother attachment, differences in the quality of attachment relationships, and the role of maternal care in attachment development. Further, her research demonstrated the importance of an ethological approach for research within and across cultures. Employing similar concepts and methods, my collaborators and I have tested and expanded Bowlby's and Ainsworth's ideas about the generality of the sensitivity construct and sensitivity-security link. In our research, ethological observations have been key to elaborating the quality of care construct and studying child-mother attachment relationships in different cultures, social contexts, and ages.

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Is the Secure Base Phenomenon Evident Here, There, and Anywhere? A Cross‐Cultural Study of Child Behavior and Experts’ Definitions

Cited by 46 publications

References 41 publications

Reassessing the validity of the attachment Q‐sort: An updated meta‐analysis

Reassessing the validity of the attachment Q‐sort: An updated meta‐analysis

Is the ideal mother a sensitive mother? Beliefs about early childhood parenting in mothers across the globe

Piecing together the sensitivity construct: ethology and cross-cultural research

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