The Impact of Attachment Style on the Family Drawings of School-Aged Children

Abstract

Objective: Primary school children's representations of themselves and their attachment figures were explored by assessing their family drawings. The main aim of the study was to empirically explore differences in the representations of children with secure versus insecure attachment. The study was theoretically informed by attachment theory and methodologically based on widely-used systems for analysing children’s drawings. Method: The Separation Anxiety Test was used to evaluate the attachment styles of 117 children (aged 6-10 years). This led to the identification of three groups, similar in age and gender distribution, with three different attachment styles (secure, anxious-ambivalent and avoidant). Each participant was asked to draw a family and the drawings produced were coded on 8 global scales and evaluated for the presence of 35 specific markers divided into five categories (characteristics of the figures; use of space; completeness of representation; emotional-affective tone; overall characteristics of the representation). Results: The drawings of securely attached children featured more positive markers, associated with a stable and well-integrated sense of self and others, whereas insecure children produced more markers of instability and negative emotion, with some interesting differences between anxious-ambivalent and avoidant attachment styles. Conclusion: Despite its limitations, the study confirmed that family drawings are a valid instrument for evaluating how children represent attachment, thereby facilitating early intervention to prevent later adjustment difficulties.

Fostering the Reconstruction of Meaning Among the General Population During the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Hence, the ability to construct meaning in uncertain and traumatic conditions may be expected to enhance psychological well-being and quality of life, mitigating the direct and indirect effects of trauma caused by adverse conditions. Furthermore, clinical theory on traumatic loss (Hooghe et al, 2012;Neimeyer et al, 2014;Procaccia et al, 2018 citation omitted for anonymous peer review) suggests that family systems and their crucial role in meaning-making processes contribute to a more advanced ability to make sense of adverse events.…”

“…The study of narratives can further our understanding of the processes through which family members maintain or construct a sense of resilience following a shared loss or, as in the case of the current pandemic, a prolonged adverse situation. This is borne out by the finding that mourners who succeeded in gradually integrating their bereavement into their meaning systems report fewer symptoms of complicated grief over the longer term (citation omitted for anonymous peer review; Holland et al, 2010;Procaccia et al, 2018).…”

Assessing attachment in school-aged children: Do the School-Age Assessment of Attachment and Family Drawings work together as complementary tools?

“…Children's drawings of their families are widely used to provide insight into children's inner worlds without the use of words. The technique does not, however, have a solid empirical basis (Procaccia, Veronese, & Castiglioni, 2014). Efforts to establish validity have been compromised by the lack of a theoretical basis for selecting individual drawing elements (Pianta, Longmaid, & Ferguson, 1999).…”

“…Efforts to establish validity have been compromised by the lack of a theoretical basis for selecting individual drawing elements (Pianta, Longmaid, & Ferguson, 1999). Numerous studies have used attachment theory to explore whether children’s attachment organization and child distress are reflected in specific drawing characteristics (Behrens & Kaplan, 2011; Fihrer & McMahon, 2009; Fury, Carlson, & Sroufe, 1997; Kaplan & Main, 1986; Madigan et al, 2004; Madigan, Ladd, & Goldberg, 2003; Pace, Zavattini, & Tambelli, 2015; Procaccia et al, 2014; Schechter et al, 2007; Shiakou, 2012). Although these studies support the tool’s potential to differentiate security from insecurity (Shiakou, 2012), difficulties in developing a reliable coding method suggest that Family Drawings cannot function as a standalone method for assessing attachment.…”

Estilos vinculares y conducta alimentaria en niños

“…En un primer nivel, se realizó un análisis gráfico y formal, y se evaluaron por separado los aspectos de contenido de los dibujos (de acuerdo al sistema de Kaplan y Main). En un segundo nivel, los dibujos fueron evaluados mediante escalas de ocho de cinco puntos de calificación global (Procaccia, Veronese & Castiglioni, 2014). Cabe señalar que esta metodología fue aplicada en un estudio en Milano, Italia.…”