Origins of Attachment: Maternal Interactive Behavior across the First Year

Abstract

This study built on attachment theory and previous research in examining the interactional origins of the secure, insecure-resistant, and insecure-avoidant patterns of attachment. Maternal sensitive responsivity, rejection, and activity were the focus of repeated naturalistic observations when infants were 1, 4, and 9 months of age; quality of attachment was assessed at 1 year. Mothers of secure 1-year-olds were observed to be more sensitively responsive at 1 and 4 months and less rejecting at 1 and 9 months than mothers of insecure infants. Mothers of insecure-avoidant infants were more rejecting at 9 months, whereas mothers of insecure-resistant infants were least sensitively responsive and most rejecting at 1 month; the insecure groups were also differentiated on the basis of patterns of change from 1 to 9 months, with mothers of resistant infants becoming less rejecting and mothers of avoidant infants becoming more rejecting relative to other mothers.

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

“…In terms of sensitivity, mothers of insecure-avoidant infants are the least sensitive of the three original attachment categories, tending to reject their infants' bids for attention and interaction (Ainsworth et al, 1978 ;Main, 1981). Mothers of insecure-resistant infants have been found to be inconsistent in their patterns of mothering, sometimes demonstrating high levels of sensitivity and at other times being insensitive to their infants ' needs (Isabella, 1993). Thus, in order to represent a progression in understanding the antecedents of attachment security, any new construct will similarly need to be able to distinguish between the insecure groups.…”

Maternal Resolution of Grief After Preterm Birth: Implications for Infant Attachment Security

“…19 Conversely, interactions lacking in sensitivity and responsiveness are associated with insecure attachment. 20 Preterm infants, especially those born with lower birth weights or greater medical risks, seem to be at risk for developing insecure attachments. [21][22][23] Insecure attachment is a nonspecific risk for later psychopathological conditions, [24][25][26] whereas attachment security is related to subsequent social competence and empathy.…”

Medición de la Sensibilidad del Adulto con Niños de 6 a 36 Meses de Edad: Construcción y Análisis Preliminares de la Escala de Sensibilidad del Adulto, E.S.A

“…Siguiendo la conceptualización original de la sensibilidad, se ha logrado replicar los resultados obtenidos inicialmente, permitiendo así, dar cuenta de evidencia empírica de que padres responsivos y sensibles tienden a tener relaciones seguras con sus hijos a los 12 meses y padres insensibles o no responsivos tienen mayor riesgo de establecer vínculos inseguros (Belsky, 1999;De Wolff, & Van IJzendoorn, 1997;Van IJzendoorn, 1995). Entre estos estudios se encuentran los de Belsky, Rovine y Taylor (1984);Grossman, Grossman, Spangler, Suess, y Unzner (1985, ambos citados en Cassidy, & Shaver, 1999; así como en los estudios de Cox, Owen, Henderson y Margand (1992), e Isabella (1993).…”

“…Por ejemplo, la sensibilidad materna se correlaciona con el mostrarse más involucrada con su bebé (Lyons-Ruth, Gonnel, Zoll, & Stahl, citados en Isabella, 1993), con la pronta respuesta ante el estrés (Del Carmen, Pedersen, Huffman, & Bryan, 1993, citados en Belsky, 1999, moderada y apropiada estimulación (Feldstein, Crown, Beebe, & Jaffe, 1995citados en Belsky, 1999Tamis Le Monda, & Bornstein, 2002, citados en Hirsh-Pasek, & Burchinal, 2006, con calidez materna ante la expresión de señales positivas del niño(a) (Lohaus, Keller, Ball, Elben, & Voelker, 2001), así como con afecto positivo, cálido e involucramiento Medición de la sensibilidad del adulto con niños de 6 a 36 meses de edad (Isabella, 1993) y baja presencia de conductas hostiles (Lock, & McMahon, 2006). Por el contrario, se ha observado que las reacciones emocionales negativas frente al llanto del hijo(a) y de otros infantes, se relacionan con una respuesta menos sensible frente a la angustia del hijo(a) (Leerkes, 2010citado en Leerkes, Parade, & Gudmundson, 2011.…”