SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “Object Attachment”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 1,351 records · Page 75Linked to original sources

PubMed1999

Parental attachment and identity in Portuguese late adolescents.

Based on a life-span attachment perspective and on identity status paradigm, this study investigated the relationship between attachment and identity in a sample of 361 Portuguese late adolescents as a function of parental and adolescent gender. The results indicated gender differences in the association between attachment variables and identity foreclosure. Although adolescents tended to report close emotional bonds with both parents, relationships with mothers seemed to play an important role in the tendency for foreclosure identity in boys. Adolescents who were in diffusion reported the least secure parental attachment and experienced the least separation anxiety. Parental inhibition of exploration and individuality, as perceived by adolescents, did not correlate with the identity dimensions.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1993

Developmental theories of parental contributors to antisocial behavior.

In view of the increased interest in a developmental approach to psychopathology, and mounting evidence of the importance of parent-child interactions in the etiology of early antisocial behavior, the following questions were posed for this review. What theories of parent-child relationships and family management techniques are available? How developmental are they, how specific and transactional are they relative to parent and child behaviors involved? And how well do they cover the period in which antisocial behavior develops? Six theories have some developmental features but the attachment theories (by L. A. Sroufe, B. Egeland, and M. T. Greenberg) and two social learning theories (by G. R. Patterson and J. Martin) are most clearly developmental. They postulate reciprocal interactions of parent and child, and transformations in the form of normative changes in the child or changes in family processes. The social learning theories of Patterson and Martin are most specific, microanalytic in fact, as to the interaction processes involved, and the attachment theories at least specify kinds of behavior involved and also do not rely on traits or types of influence as their units of analysis. Conceptualization is most weak and overly general between late infancy and the preschool years. This gap makes it difficult to link attachment and social learning theories, both of which have driven a large number of studies. A bridging theory is offered to link the two sets of theories in the critical period involved.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Participation in clubs and groups from childhood to adolescence and its effects on attachment and self-esteem.

We examined social participation in organized clubs and groups from childhood to adolescence in a sample of young people from Dunedin, New Zealand. Groups were broadly categorized as "sports" and "cultural/youth" groups. While the results indicated high levels of participation in childhood with a decline over the ensuing adolescent years, path analyses suggested strong continuities in participation over time. Both family "active-recreational" orientation (ARO) and "intellectual-cultural" orientation (ICO) predicted participation, and mediated the effects of disadvantage on participation. Participation was significantly related to adolescent attachment to parents, friends and school/workplace, as well as self-perceived strengths, after controlling for early family disadvantage and social support, peer attachment and literacy. The effect of participation in adolescence is to widen the "social convoy" to which young people are exposed as well as strengthening relationships within that convoy.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2001

The relationship of maternal and child HIV infection to security of attachment among Ugandan infants.

This study was designed to examine the relationship of maternal and child human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection to the security of attachment of Ugandan infants. The attachment patterns of two groups of Ugandan mother-infant pairs: 35 HIV-positive mothers and their infants and 25 HIV-negative mothers and their infants were compared. We tested the hypothesis that infants of HIV-positive mothers would demonstrate less secure attachment as measured by the Waters Attachment Q-set than infants of HIV-negative mothers. No differences were found in the security of attachment of infants of HIV-positive versus HIV-negative mothers. Infants of HIV-positive mothers with Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) were less securely attached than infants of mothers without AIDS. These findings underscore the relationship of infant security of attachment to maternal HIV infection in the presence of AIDS-related symptoms but not to asymptomatic maternal HIV infection.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Attachment, caregiving, and altruism: boosting attachment security increases compassion and helping.

Recent studies based on J. Bowlby's (1969/1982) attachment theory reveal that both dispositional and experimentally enhanced attachment security facilitate cognitive openness and empathy, strengthen self-transcendent values, and foster tolerance of out-group members. Moreover, dispositional attachment security is associated with volunteering to help others in everyday life and to unselfish motives for volunteering. The present article reports 5 experiments, replicated in 2 countries (Israel and the United States), testing the hypothesis that increases in security (accomplished through both implicit and explicit priming techniques) foster compassion and altruistic behavior. The hypothesized effects were consistently obtained, and various alternative explanations were explored and ruled out. Dispositional attachment-related anxiety and avoidance adversely influenced compassion, personal distress, and altruistic behavior in theoretically predictable ways. As expected, attachment security provides a foundation for care-oriented feelings and caregiving behaviors, whereas various forms of insecurity suppress or interfere with compassionate caregiving.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

The impact of premature birth on fear of personal death and attachment of styles in adolescence.

The differences between adolescents born pre-term (n = 50) and a matched sample of adolescents born full-term were examined in relation to fear of personal death, attachment styles, and the relation between the two variables. Findings revealed that adolescents born pre-term showed a higher level of fear of personal death and a lower frequency of secure attachment style than adolescents born full-term. In addition, secure full-term born adolescents exhibited a lower level of fear of personal death compared with insecure adolescents; whereas among those born pre-term, attachment styles did not affect the level of fear of personal death. Results are discussed in terms of the long-term impact of premature birth on affect regulation in adolescence.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

Attachment organization as a moderator of the link between friendship quality and adolescent delinquency.

This study examined attachment organization as a moderator of the link between the quality of the adolescents' current friendships and delinquent behavior. Data were gathered from a moderately at-risk sample of 71 ethnically and socioeconomically diverse adolescents. Results revealed a moderating effect of attachment organization (as assessed by the AAI) such that strong and supportive friendships were linked to lower levels of delinquency, but only when adolescents' attachment organization reflected an orientation toward heightened attention to attachment relationships (via preoccupation or via clear lack of dismissal of attachment). These results suggest that attachment organization plays an important role in delineating the conditions under which the qualities of social relationships are likely to be linked to important psychosocial outcomes.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

Maternal attachment state of mind moderates the impact of postnatal depression on infant attachment.

BACKGROUND: Empirical studies have revealed a significant, but modest association between maternal depression and insecure mother-child attachment. Across studies, however, a substantial number of mothers with depression are able to provide a sensitive caretaking environment for their children. This paper aimed to explore whether a mother's own state of mind regarding attachment moderated the association between postpartum depression and insecure mother-child attachment. METHODS: Mothers (n = 111), mainly middle-class mothers, and their infants participated in a longitudinal study of postnatal depression, maternal attachment state of mind and child attachment. Depression was assessed using a diagnostic interview (at 4 and 12 months) and symptom checklists (at 4, 12 and 15 months). The Adult Attachment Interview was conducted at 12 months and the Strange Situation procedure at 15 months. RESULTS: Mothers diagnosed as depressed were more likely to have an insecure state of mind regarding attachment. Infants of chronically depressed mothers were more likely to be insecurely attached; however, the relationship between maternal depression and child attachment was moderated by maternal attachment state of mind. CONCLUSIONS: Results are discussed with reference to resiliency factors for women with postnatal depression and implications for intervention.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Attachment injuries in couple relationships: a new perspective on impasses in couples therapy.

This article identifies and operationalizes the newly defined construct of attachment injury. An attachment injury occurs when one partner violates the expectation that the other will offer comfort and caring in times of danger or distress. This incident becomes a clinically recurring theme and creates an impasse that blocks relationship repair in couples therapy. An attachment injury is characterized by an abandonment or by a betrayal of trust during a critical moment of need. The injurious incident defines the relationship as insecure and maintains relationship distress because it is continually used as a standard for the dependability of the offending partner. The concept of an attachment injury is defined here in the context of emotionally focused therapy, an empirically validated, short-term approach to modifying distress in couples. The broad theoretical underpinnings of this concept may be found in attachment theory as applied to adult romantic relationships. Through the delineation of attachment injury events and the ongoing development of a detailed model of resolution, couples therapists will be better able to identify, describe, and effectively treat such injuries and address the therapeutic impasses that are associated with them.

Adult↗

PubMed1984

"Humanizing" childbirth: the discovery and implementation of bonding theory.

Recent changes in methods of childbirth attendance represent one example of an emerging emphasis on the humanization of medical treatment. Although many have observed this trend toward humanization, the process of medical accommodation--including rationales provided for change, the nature and limitations of humanization, and the consequences of "humanized" medicine--is not well understood. This paper explores the process of medical accommodation by focusing on the ways in which the issue of parent-infant bonding has contributed to the humanization of obstetric care. The bonding issue has provided a rationale for change in a specialty area facing criticisms on several fronts. Acknowledging consumer demands for change in traditional styles of maternity care, medical professionals have responded by offering alternative programs based largely in the conclusions of research on the attachment process. It is demonstrated that these medically proposed alternatives suffer from many organizational constraints and that the emphasis on bonding fostered by these new programs has potentially negative consequences.

Community Participation↗

PubMed1992

Phobic reactions of mothers to their own babies.

A systematic review was carried out of all patients admitted to a specialised mother-baby unit who had significant phobic avoidance of their own infants. Demographic and diagnostic information on this group showed phobic avoidance to be common and associated with a range of psychiatric illnesses. There was a trend towards association with relatively prolonged admission. The relationship of such avoidance to attachment behaviour from mother to child is discussed. It is recommended that phobic symptoms warrant early recognition and treatment in their own right, simultaneously with treatment of the major illness.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Perceptions of autonomy support, parent attachment, competence and self-worth as predictors of motivational orientation and academic achievement: an examination of sixth- and ninth-grade regular education students.

This project examined the hypothesis that students' perceptions of teacher autonomy support, parent attachment, competence, and self-worth would predict motivational orientation and achievement test performance. Participants were 135 sixth-grade and 91 ninth-grade regular education students from a large, ethnically diverse school district. Stepwise regression analyses indicated that autonomy support, parent attachment, scholastic competence, and self-worth predicted the academic criterion variables. Interestingly, scholastic competence was a significant predictor in all of the regression models. Implications of the findings are discussed in terms of classroom practices.

Achievement↗

PubMed2002

The impact of parental attachment and supervision on fear of crime among adolescent males.

This paper examines the effect of parental attachment and supervision on fear of crime among adolescent males. Earlier work has suggested that feelings of powerlessness and association with deviant peers have a significant impact on adolescent fear of crime. As the nature of the parent-adolescent relationship is also a key predictor of adolescent self-concept and quality of peer relationships, we felt that parental attachment and supervision should also impact fear of crime. Using self-report surveys from 318 incarcerated adolescent males, we examine the effect of parental attachment and supervision, along with other demographic and contextual variables, on fear of criminal victimization, perceived safety, and perceptions of risk. The results indicate that those boys who are most attached to their parents are less fearful of criminal victimization and feel safer in their environment than do their counterparts with weaker parental attachments. Additionally, those boys whose parents supervise them closely are more fearful of criminal victimization, but have lower levels of perceived risk of victimization. Implications and ramifications for social policies and future research are also discussed.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

"If I can't have you, no one can": development of a Relational Entitlement and Proprietariness Scale (REPS).

Relational proprietariness and entitlement have been theoretically related to partner violence following the threat of relationship dissolution. To date, however, no measure has been employed to verify such accounts. A multistage item pool development and refinement strategy was employed, resulting in a 32-item measure with strong construct validity. An online survey administered to 279 students resulted in an interpretable factor structure of sexual proprietariness and entitlement, consisting of social, behavioral, and information control, and a potential factor of face threat reactivity. These factors added unique variance to the prediction of instrumental and expressive aggression, were related to self-esteem and attachment, and were not contaminated by social desirability. Recommendations for bolstering the face threat reactivity factor and future studies are suggested. This measure provides a new tool that contributes to the prediction of intimate partner violence.

Adult↗

PubMed1987

Mother and daughter perceptions of their relationship: the influence of adolescent pregnancy status.

This investigation focused on the perceived relationships between 95 mothers and their adolescent daughters. It sought to determine if there was a significant difference in the mother-daughter relationship as perceived by pregnant versus nonpregnant adolescents, and whether the mothers of these two groups, when compared to each other, differed in their feelings for their daughters. In contrast to other investigations, no striking differences between the groups in intimacy, attachment, and strength of feeling as indicated by a questionnaire were found, though results were generally in the predicted direction. Nevertheless, a strong correlation between daughters' and mothers' answers was found, indicating an overall positive perception by both toward their relationship.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1994

[Attachment and identity of adoptive children].

At first the development of the mother-child-attachment is discussed on the basis of the theories of Bowlby and Ainsworth. A study by one of the Dutch authors (Juffer) is described, in which the quality of the attachment was assessed in 90 foreign adoptions and in which a positive impact of interventions (booklet, discussion of videotapes) on the quality of the attachment was found. Then the relationship between adoptees and their biological parents is discussed. The consequences of the "double parenthood" for the identity development of adopted children is described.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1985

Social influences and constraints on the initiation and cessation of adolescent tobacco use.

This research examines the viability of a theoretical perspective which combines social bonding theory and differential association theory in explaining the initiation and cessation of adolescent tobacco use. Three-year panel data collected from seventh- to twelfth-grade adolescents were analyzed using differences in means tests and discriminant analysis. The findings indicate overall support for the theoretical model in discriminating between (1) initiators and stable nonsmokers and (2) cessators and stable smokers. However, there were some differences in the variables found to be important at each stage of adolescent smoking. Commitment to education, attachment to father and mother, and association with female smoking friends were the most effective discriminators for the initiation stage, while attachment to father, beliefs, and association with both male and female smoking friends were important for the cessation stage. Findings are also discussed for males and females and for junior and senior high-school adolescents.

Achievement↗

PubMed1990

Parent and peer attachment in early adolescent depression.

Insecure attachment relations have been theorized to play a significant role in the development of depressogenic modes of adaptation and to thus form a vulnerability factor for the emergence of depressive disorder in children. This study examined security of parent and peer attachment among four groups of early adolescents: clinically depressed, nondepressed psychiatric controls, nonpsychiatric controls, and adolescents with resolved depression. Depressed adolescents reported significantly less secure parent attachment than either of the control groups, and less secure peer attachment than the nonpsychiatric control group. Attachment security of adolescents with resolved depression was on a par with the nonpsychiatric control group. Among all psychiatric patients, security of attachment to parents was negatively correlated with severity of depression according to interview and self-report ratings. Less secure attachment to parents, but generally not to peers, was also related to more maladaptive attributional styles, presence of separation anxiety disorder, and history of suicidal ideation.

Adolescent↗