Maternal Sensitivity and Newborns' Orientation Responses as Related to Quality of Attachment in Northern Germany

Grossmann, Klaus E.; Spangler, Gottfried; Suess, Gerhard J.; Unzner, Lothar

doi:10.2307/3333836

Cited by 339 publications

(266 citation statements)

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“…For example, mothers ' development of differential responses to early crying may depend upon their willingness or ability to interpret crying as a means of communication. Similarly, it is important to investigate whether individual differences in maternal mind-mindedness predict attach-ment security in other cultures and in mothers of differing socioeconomic status, since maternal sensitivity has been found to relate to security across wide-ranging populations (Egeland & Farber, 1984 ;Goldberg et al, 1986 ;Grossmann et al, 1985).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rethinking Maternal Sensitivity: Mothers' Comments on Infants' Mental Processes Predict Security of Attachment at 12 Months

Meins

Fernyhough

Fradley

et al. 2001

J. Child Psychol. Psychiat.

166

281

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This study investigated predictors of attachment security in a play context using a sample of 71 mothers and their 6-month-old infants. We sought to rethink the concept of maternal sensitivity by focusing on mothers ' ability accurately to read the mental states governing infant behaviour. Five categories were devised to assess this ability, four of which were dependent on maternal responses to infant behaviours, such as object-directed activity. The fifth, mothers ' Appropriate mind-related comments, assessed individual differences in mothers ' proclivity to comment appropriately on their infants ' mental states and processes. Higher scores in this fifth category related to a secure attachment relationship at 12 months. Maternal sensitivity and Appropriate mind-related comments were independent predictors of attachment security at 12 months, respectively accounting for 6n5 % and 12n7 % of its variance. We suggest that these findings are in line with current theorising on internal working models of attachment, and may help to explain security-related differences in mentalising abilities.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rethinking Maternal Sensitivity: Mothers' Comments on Infants' Mental Processes Predict Security of Attachment at 12 Months

Meins

Fernyhough

Fradley

et al. 2001

J. Child Psychol. Psychiat.

166

281

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“…Our sample consisted of married, White, middle class women who, on average, together with their infants displayed quite positive interaction during play at 24 months; hence generalizability to other populations is limited until verified. Caution must be also be exercised given the cultural specificity in individual maternal and infant behaviors during dyadic exchanges (e.g., Bornstein, Haynes, Pascual, Painter, & Galperin, 1999) and the range of cultural influences on the attachment process (e.g., Grossmann, Grossmann, Spangler, Suess, & Unzner, 1985;Kazui, Endo, Tanaka, Sakagami, & Suganuma, 2000). Furthermore, because observations in this study were made in only one context, mother-infant play, research is needed to determine the generalizability of these finding to contexts other than play.…”

Section: Implications Limitations and Suggestions For Future Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Maternal sensory sensitivity, mother–infant 9-month interaction, infant attachment status: Predictors of mother–toddler interaction at 24 months

Donovan¹,

Leavitt²,

Taylor³

et al. 2007

Infant Behavior and Development

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At 24-months of age, toddlers (N = 62) and their mothers were observed in a free-play session to determine the contribution of (a) maternal sensory sensitivity to positive and negative infant facial expressions as measured in a signal detection task at 6 months (b) maternal behavior and affect, infant behavior and affect, and dyadic interaction at 9 months, and (c) infant attachment status at 12 months in predicting maternal, toddler, and dyadic measures at 24 months. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that over and above early maternal behavior, which was predictive of later maternal behavior at 24 months, sensory sensitivity to the positive infant expression at 6 months predicted maternal behavior at 24 months and sensory sensitivity to both the positive and negative expression was associated with later maternal affect. Infant attachment status emerged as the variable which predicted toddler behavior and dyadic interaction at 24 months. Keywordssignal detection methodology; maternal sensory sensitivity; mother-infant interaction; infant attachment status; infant facial expressions The current study examined mother-toddler interaction patterns during play at 24 months by tracing their development longitudinally with respect to the potential influence of early maternal sensory sensitivity to infants' affective signaling at 6 months, maternal behavior and affect, infant behavior and affect, and dyadic interaction at 9 months, and infant attachment status at 12 months. Interaction between mothers and their infants provides opportunities for infants' socio-emotional learning and reflects the quality of dyadic interaction. Developing synchrony between a mother and her infant affords the infant reciprocal exchanges that facilitate social, emotional, and cognitive growth for the child (see Harrist & Waugh, 2002, for review). Early social play is frequently mentioned as an important relational context offering affective exchanges in the form of face-to-face play and attachment behaviors (Stern, 1995), exchanges which are thought to impact the child's development of self and others (Harel, Oppenheim, Tirosh, & Gini, 1999). Aspects of these earlier social play interactions change as the infant becomes more mobile to include exploration of the environment and manipulation of objects, with exploration of toys in the company of the mother being an important setting Corresponding author: Wilberta Donovan, Ph.D., Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 Highland Ave. Madison, WI 53705; Lewis Leavitt, Nicole Taylor, and Jennifer Broder are also at the Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin -Madison Publisher's Disclaimer: This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final citable form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered...

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“…This attachment status also corresponds to the type of internal working models a child will form. That is, consistent and high parental sensitivity, responsiveness, and attunement to the infant's cues and needs contribute to secure / healthy attachment relationships and the infant's benevolent internal working models of self, others, or relationships (Ainsworth, Blehar, Waters, & Wall, 1978;Belsky, Rovine, & Taylor, 1984;DeWolff & van Ijzendoorn, 1997;Egeland & Farber, 1984;Grossman, Grossman, Spangler, Suess, & Unzer, 1985). The infants learn, in a sense, that they are deserving of their parents' caregiving, that their parents are predictably safe and nurturing, and that they have a secure base from which to explore the world.…”

Section: Childhood Attachmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Role of attachment in the intergenerational transmission of abuse: From childhood victimization to adult revictimization and distress

Austin¹

2011

PsycEXTRA Dataset

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Maternal Sensitivity and Newborns' Orientation Responses as Related to Quality of Attachment in Northern Germany

Cited by 339 publications

References 0 publications

Rethinking Maternal Sensitivity: Mothers' Comments on Infants' Mental Processes Predict Security of Attachment at 12 Months

Rethinking Maternal Sensitivity: Mothers' Comments on Infants' Mental Processes Predict Security of Attachment at 12 Months

Maternal sensory sensitivity, mother–infant 9-month interaction, infant attachment status: Predictors of mother–toddler interaction at 24 months

Role of attachment in the intergenerational transmission of abuse: From childhood victimization to adult revictimization and distress

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