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Parental Sensitivity, Infant Affect, and Affect Regulation: Predictors of Later Attachment
Author(s) -
BraungartRieker Julia M.,
Garwood Molly M.,
Powers Bruce P.,
Wang Xiaoyu
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
child development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.103
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1467-8624
pISSN - 0009-3920
DOI - 10.1111/1467-8624.00277
Subject(s) - affect (linguistics) , maternal sensitivity , psychology , developmental psychology , infant development , strange situation , affect regulation , attachment theory , communication
This longitudinal study on 94 families examined the extent to which parent sensitivity, infant affect, and affect regulation at 4 months predicted mother – infant and father – infant attachment classifications at 1 year. Parent sensitivity was rated from face‐to‐face interaction episodes; infant affect and regulatory behaviors were rated from mother – infant and father – infant still‐face episodes at 4 months. Infants' attachment to mothers and fathers was rated from the Strange Situation at 12 and 13 months. MANOVAs indicated that 4‐month parent and infant factors were associated with infant – mother but not infant – father attachment groups. Discriminant Function Analysis further indicated that two functions, “Affect Regulation” and “Maternal Sensitivity,” discriminated infant–mother attachment groups; As and B1 – B2s showed more affect regulation toward mothers and fathers than B3 – B4s and Cs at 4 months, and mothers of both secure groups were more sensitive than mothers of Cs. Finally, the association between maternal sensitivity and infant – mother attachment was partially mediated by infant affect regulation.