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Representational models of relationships: Links between caregiving and attachment
Author(s) -
George Carol,
Solomon Judith
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
infant mental health journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.693
H-Index - 75
eISSN - 1097-0355
pISSN - 0163-9641
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-0355(199623)17:3<198::aid-imhj2>3.0.co;2-l
Subject(s) - psychology , developmental psychology , concordance , attachment theory , learned helplessness , set (abstract data type) , reciprocal , medicine , computer science , linguistics , philosophy , programming language
According to attachment theory, the child's attachment behavioral system is complemented by a reciprocal caregiving system in the parent. Going beyond current descriptions of caregiving as a set of discrete parental behaviors and attitudes that are related to attachment, we have sought to describe caregiving as a behavioral system that is organized in its own right. Examination interviews of 32 mothers of 6‐year‐old children, we found a significant correspondence between maternal internal working models of caregiving on the dimensions of secure base, rejection, uncertainty, and helplessness and their children's attachment classification. A significant concordance between caregiving classification and adult attachment classification and between adult attachment classification and child attachment classification was also found. The relation between child attachment, adult attachment, and the caregiving system is discussed.