ObjectiveThis study examined developmental trajectories of maternal sensitivity across early chil... more ObjectiveThis study examined developmental trajectories of maternal sensitivity across early childhood and explored whether changes in sensitivity were predicted by changes in interparental conflict.BackgroundMaternal sensitivity facilitates healthy child development. Previous research has elucidated the role of interparental conflict as a determinant of sensitivity, but we know little about the trajectory of sensitivity across early childhood and the extent to which interparental conflict over time impacts sensitivity.MethodMothers (n = 78) and their children were visited at the playground four times across early childhood (child age: 3.5 to 5.5 years). Observers reported on maternal sensitivity after each visit. Interparental conflict was self‐reported by mothers twice when their child was approximately 3.5 and 5 years old.ResultsOn average, both conflict and sensitivity showed continuity across early childhood. However, hierarchical linear modeling indicated significant variability in trajectories of change in sensitivity based upon frequency of interparental conflict.ConclusionAlthough interparental conflict was relatively low at both times, mothers reporting increased conflict showed decreased sensitivity as their child aged.ImplicationsFindings underscore the importance of studying mother–child relationships within the larger familial context and provide support for the playground as an ecologically valid context to assess sensitivity.
Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 2018
ABSTRACTAttachment relationships are formed, organized, and elaborated through interactions betwe... more ABSTRACTAttachment relationships are formed, organized, and elaborated through interactions between an attachment figure and her/his child. The parent–child codetermination process that establishes their relationship in infancy extends and expands during the preschool years. A child's developing ability to use her/his mother as a secure base requires support, time, and practice during early childhood. Moreover, experiences with attachment figures provide information that children use to build internal representations of their relationship. Thus, the organization of attachment behavior is expected to be related to the structure of a child's attachment representations. Yet, questions about how the structure of those representations develop remain unanswered. In moving into the preschool years, we anticipate that building of mental representations of secure base support and use will be guided by parent–child co‐construction processes. The child's improving language and adva...
Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 2018
ABSTRACTIn order to examine the interplay between behavioral and cognitive representations of att... more ABSTRACTIn order to examine the interplay between behavioral and cognitive representations of attachment during early childhood, we compiled both behavior‐based and more cognitive‐based attachment measures for this age range. The behavior‐based measures were observational Q‐set methodologies already established in the literature. Measures of attachment representations for the children and mothers were narrative‐based procedures, that is, established storytelling tasks for obtaining attachment narratives from children and adults. For assessing maternal co‐construction processes, we developed two new co‐construction tasks that required joint storytelling of attachment relevant storylines in one case, and joint conversations about emotion‐laden situations in the other. All of these measures are based on the central secure base construct of attachment theory. Behavioral measures assess secure base use and support. Attachment narratives collected from both children and parents are scored...
ObjectiveThis study examined developmental trajectories of maternal sensitivity across early chil... more ObjectiveThis study examined developmental trajectories of maternal sensitivity across early childhood and explored whether changes in sensitivity were predicted by changes in interparental conflict.BackgroundMaternal sensitivity facilitates healthy child development. Previous research has elucidated the role of interparental conflict as a determinant of sensitivity, but we know little about the trajectory of sensitivity across early childhood and the extent to which interparental conflict over time impacts sensitivity.MethodMothers (n = 78) and their children were visited at the playground four times across early childhood (child age: 3.5 to 5.5 years). Observers reported on maternal sensitivity after each visit. Interparental conflict was self‐reported by mothers twice when their child was approximately 3.5 and 5 years old.ResultsOn average, both conflict and sensitivity showed continuity across early childhood. However, hierarchical linear modeling indicated significant variability in trajectories of change in sensitivity based upon frequency of interparental conflict.ConclusionAlthough interparental conflict was relatively low at both times, mothers reporting increased conflict showed decreased sensitivity as their child aged.ImplicationsFindings underscore the importance of studying mother–child relationships within the larger familial context and provide support for the playground as an ecologically valid context to assess sensitivity.
Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 2018
ABSTRACTAttachment relationships are formed, organized, and elaborated through interactions betwe... more ABSTRACTAttachment relationships are formed, organized, and elaborated through interactions between an attachment figure and her/his child. The parent–child codetermination process that establishes their relationship in infancy extends and expands during the preschool years. A child's developing ability to use her/his mother as a secure base requires support, time, and practice during early childhood. Moreover, experiences with attachment figures provide information that children use to build internal representations of their relationship. Thus, the organization of attachment behavior is expected to be related to the structure of a child's attachment representations. Yet, questions about how the structure of those representations develop remain unanswered. In moving into the preschool years, we anticipate that building of mental representations of secure base support and use will be guided by parent–child co‐construction processes. The child's improving language and adva...
Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 2018
ABSTRACTIn order to examine the interplay between behavioral and cognitive representations of att... more ABSTRACTIn order to examine the interplay between behavioral and cognitive representations of attachment during early childhood, we compiled both behavior‐based and more cognitive‐based attachment measures for this age range. The behavior‐based measures were observational Q‐set methodologies already established in the literature. Measures of attachment representations for the children and mothers were narrative‐based procedures, that is, established storytelling tasks for obtaining attachment narratives from children and adults. For assessing maternal co‐construction processes, we developed two new co‐construction tasks that required joint storytelling of attachment relevant storylines in one case, and joint conversations about emotion‐laden situations in the other. All of these measures are based on the central secure base construct of attachment theory. Behavioral measures assess secure base use and support. Attachment narratives collected from both children and parents are scored...
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