Deconstructing maternal sensitivity
Predictive relations to mother‐child attachment in home and laboratory settings
Bibliographic Data
Despite the well‐documented importance of parental sensitivity for child development, there is a lack of consensus regarding how best to assess it. We investigated the factor structure of maternal caregiving behavior as assessed at 12 months by the Maternal Behavior Q‐Sort (Pederson & Moran) with 274 mother‐infant dyads. Subsequently, we examined associations between these empirically‐derived dimensions and child attachment, assessed in the home and laboratory (final N = 157). Three dimensions of maternal behavior were identified, corresponding fairly closely to Ainsworth's original scales. They were labeled Cooperation/Attunement, Positivity, and Accessibility/Availability. Only Cooperation/Attunement consistently predicted home‐based attachment at 15 months and 2 years, and at comparable strength to the overall sensitivity score, suggesting that this construct may be central to sensitivity. At 18 months, compared to their primarily secure counterparts, different types of laboratory‐assessed insecure attachment were associated with different patterns of maternal behavior. Mothers in avoidant relationships ( n = 18) were low on Cooperation/Attunement and Accessibility/Availability, but fairly high on Positivity. Mothers of disorganized infants ( n = 11) were Cooperative/Attuned but somewhat less Positive toward, and less Accessible/Available to, their infants. A multidimensional approach to parental behavior may facilitate the identification of parenting precursors of insecure parent‐child relationships
Attachment theory · Attunement · Construct (python library · Developmental psychology · Early childhood · Maternal sensitivity · Strange situation · Attachment and Relationship Dynamics · Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development · Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum · Psychology
Development and Evaluation of an Open-Source, Online Training for the Measurement of Adult-Child Responsivity at Home and in Early Childhood Education and Care Settings
The implications of participating in a Music Early Learning Program for parental sensitivity and socioemotional functioning in children aged 2–5 years
Secure Base Provision
Ghosts in the nursery
Factor structure of the Mini‐Maternal Behavior Q‐Sort and associations with infant attachment
Further evidence for the multidimensional nature of maternal sensitivity
Mother–Infant Interaction and Child Brain Morphology
Perinatal Predictors and Mediators of Attachment Patterns in Preschool Children
Characterising Maternal Sensitivity in a High Risk, Peri-urban LMIC Context
Mary Ainsworth’s legacy
Differential Effects of Maternal Sensitivity to Infant Distress and Nondistress on Social-Emotional Functioning
The Significance of Insecure Attachment and Disorganization in the Development of Children’s Externalizing Behavior
Assessing Attachment Security With the Attachment Q Sort
The Significance of Insecure and Disorganized Attachment for Children’s Internalizing Symptoms
Attachment Security in Infancy and Early Adulthood
Parent–Infant Synchrony
The Enduring Predictive Significance of Early Maternal Sensitivity
Integrating Different Perspectives on Socialization Theory and Research
Sensitivity and Attachment
Broadening the Study of Infant Security of Attachment
Sensitivity as a Privileged Predictor of Attachment
Identifying Mother–child Interaction Styles Using a Person‐centered Approach
Child Care Caregiver Sensitivity and Attachment
The legacy of early experiences in development
My Baby & Me”
Maternal sensitivity during infancy and subsequent life events relate to attachment representation at early adulthood
Disorganized Infant, Child, and Adult Attachment
Less is more
| Unique citing works | 9 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1,13 |
| Citation span | 2018 - 2026 (9) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 9 |