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Mothers' Physiological and Affective Responding to Infant Distress: Unique Antecedents of Avoidant and Resistant Attachments
Author(s) -
Groh Ashley M.,
Propper Cathi,
MillsKoonce Roger,
Moore Ginger A.,
Calkins Susan,
Cox Martha
Publication year - 2017
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/cdev.12912
Subject(s) - psychology , developmental psychology , strange situation , context (archaeology) , distress , maternal sensitivity , distressing , crying , vagal tone , affect (linguistics) , attachment theory , clinical psychology , social psychology , medicine , paleontology , chemistry , heart rate variability , heart rate , communication , radiology , blood pressure , biology
In a sample of 127 mother–infant dyads, this study examined the predictive significance of mothers' physiological and observed emotional responding within distressing and nondistressing caregiving contexts at 6 months for infant attachment assessed with Fraley and Spieker's (2003) dimensional approach and the categorical approach at 12 months. Findings revealed that a lesser degree of maternal respiratory sinus arrhythmia withdrawal and higher levels of maternal neutral (vs. positive) affect within distressing (vs. nondistressing) caregiving contexts were distinctive antecedents of avoidance versus resistance assessed dimensionally (but not categorically), independent of maternal sensitivity. Discussion focuses on the usefulness of examining mothers' physiological and affective responding, considering the caregiving context, and employing the dimensional approach to attachment in identifying unique antecedents of patterns of attachment insecurity.