The influence of 10 days of maternal separation on behavior and physiology was studied in monkey infants. Individual variability in behavioral and physiological response was marked and showed only minimal correlation with measures of early behavioral development and early mother-infant interaction. Implications for understanding pathophysiology of…

Designed with procedural and methodological controls which were not always adequate in earlier studies, this study tests the hypothesis that early and enhanced contact between mothers and infants after delivery facilitates maternal attachment behavior. Thirty mother-infant pairs from a lower-middle-class population were studied. (Author/MP)

Relates Bowlby's original conceptualization of attachment to recently developed theories subsumed under the label of sociobiology. (MP)

Studied adolescent-pet bonding and bereavement following pet loss (n=55). Hypothesized that highly-bonded adolescents experience more intense grief when a pet dies than do those less bonded; degree of bonding is greater for girls than for boys; and intensity of bereavement is greater for girls than for boys. Results supported the hypotheses. (RB)

Considers whether attachment theory as it is applied to child sexual abuse might be susceptible to biases that reflect the larger sociocultural context. Although this paper concludes that attachment theory can potentially add an important dimension to the conceptualization of child sexual abuse and its dynamics, it is also suggested that…

Presents a response to Bolen's article, "Child Sexual Abuse and Attachment Theory: Are We Rushing Headlong into Another Controversy?" (this issue). Heralds the article as a welcome addition to the child abuse field and further explores the issues pertaining to attachment theory and child abuse. (GCP)

Presents results of a study of the graphic indicators in drawings by patients with substance abuse disorders. The Bird's Nest Drawing, an assessment task previously devised to elicit pictorial representations of attachment security, was used to examine attachment patterns of volunteers. Results showed that those with substance abuse diagnoses were…

Examined attachment classification of children with cleft lip and palate (CLP) and isolated cleft palate (ICP) and comparison group at 12 months of age; found no significant differences. Findings suggest that infants with clefts, despite special needs and caregiving requirements, seem not to have elevated risk for insecure attachments at the end…

Examined associations among mothers' insightfulness into their 12-month-olds' internal experience as assessed through interviews regarding mothers' videotaped interaction with their infant, mothers' sensitivity to infant's signals during laboratory and home play sessions, and infant's security of attachment to mothers in the Strange Situation.…

Proposes a battery of semi-structured interviews, global assessment scales, attachment-specific scales, and behavioral observations to help mental health counselors identify Reactive Attachment Disorder, a syndrome associated with extreme attachment problems. (Contains 25 references and 2 tables.) (GCP)

Variations in attachment-autonomy configurations are explored as these relate to substance use and several adolescent competencies. Analyses of subgroups representing four attachment-autonomy patterns, derived from cluster analysis, showed higher competency levels and fewer problems related to substance use for the group combining strong…

Parent visitation between parents and their children in foster care is the primary intervention for maintaining and supporting the development of parent child relationships necessary for reunification. This article examines the aspects of attachment relationships that provide an approach for understanding, assessing, and intervening in parent…

When trauma precedes a child's placement in the foster care system, it can lead to lasting mental health difficulties. Often, children who experience extreme, chronic trauma prior to age 5 develop Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD). This article discusses the characteristics of RAD as well as diagnostic criteria and possible etiology. (Contains 26…

Children and adolescents who are diagnosed as conduct disordered and violent have less physically intimate relationships. This may be a factor in the development of their disorder. Physical contact treatments like massage therapy may help reduce their aggressive behavior and normalize their EEG and biochemical profiles. (Contains 79 references.)…

Suggests that those with different attachment styles will react to nonverbal involvement change in a manner consistent with their approach/avoidance orientations and mental working models of self and others. Finds that regardless of attachment style, targets reciprocated confederate behavior in increase-involvement conditions and displayed…