Projective methods were used to explore maternal perception and interpretation of infant's emotional expressions during the third trimester of pregnancy and 3 months postpartum. Results revealed that mothers interpreted infant emotions overwhelmingly in positive terms at both times; findings suggest consistency in maternal interpretation across…

Examines the influence of caregivers' Attachment Styles and personality traits on their experiences of caring for dementia dependents. Results, based on 126 caregiver-dependent pairs, indicate connections between attachment style factors and caregiver experiences. Those choosing to institutionalize dependents ranked higher on Avoidance factors…

Main and interactive effects of delinquent friends, peer attachment, and association with Chinese friends on delinquency were studied with Chinese-Canadian youths ages 10 to 20. Results show that association with delinquent friends increases delinquency involvement, while attachment to peers has the opposite effect. (SLD)

The Adolescent Attachment Questionnaire, an assessment of attachment characteristics in adolescents, was developed and validated with a normative sample of 691 adolescents and 133 adolescents in psychiatric treatment. Internal reliability and agreement for the 91 sample members who completed the scale twice were adequate. (SLD)

Discusses the role of a study of atypical patterns of attachment behavior for the understanding of attachment theory, parenting, and child socioemotional development. Notes that research on atypical attachments suggest that the developmental integration of biological, psychological, and behavioral responses is more profoundly dependent on social-…

To assess the needs of early intervention teams, 627 direct care providers were surveyed. Four domains of infant mental health were explored: attachment, behavior, stress/coping, and regulation/adaptation. Differences in comfort with those domains were found among the providers based on professional training as well as years of experience.…

Explored long-term effects of different childrearing contexts on attachment and separation representations of Israeli 16- to 18-year-olds. Found that adolescents raised in a kibbutz communal setting showed higher incidence of nonautonomous attachment representations and less competent coping with imagined separations than adolescents raised in a…

Examined extent to which parent sensitivity, infant affect, and affect regulation at 4 months predicted mother- and father-infant attachment classifications at 1 year. Found that affect regulation and maternal sensitivity discriminated infant-mother attachment groups. The association between maternal sensitivity and infant-mother attachment was…

Responses from 282 (59.7%) adolescent females indicated that those who were attached to their mothers selected careers consistent with their abilities and felt highly efficacious about their career choice. (SK)

Describes the refined principles of Psychology of Mind and shows how their logical interaction can help explain the comparative amounts of deviant and conforming behavior of youthful offenders. The logic of these principles is used to examine the major assumptions of social bonding and control theory of delinquency focusing predominantly on the…

Presents the results of a psychotherapy consultation service for delinquents (n=47). Based on data obtained from this program and a review of relevant literature, a working model of individual psychotherapy related to attachment theory as it applies to this population is presented. Discusses difficulties that warrant resolution. (JPS)

Examined patterns of correlations among selected parental, contextual, and child characteristics accounting for variance in observed quality of parent-infant interaction and infant development with 15-month-olds and their families. Found that parental ego-resiliency and education, partner support, and infant social fearfulness explained…

Two studies using the Parent-Adult Attachment Style Questionnaire (P-AASQ) are described. In both, college students were classified into one of three parent-adult attachment style groups, and their scores on a common set of adjustment measures were examined. Results provide further support for the reliability and concurrent and predictive validity…

School completion and dropping out of school are developmental processes with strong social and emotional antecedents. The early development of attachment bonds, and subsequent positive and negative behaviors and relationships set an early path toward school completion or drop out. Discusses ways to enhance emotional bonds before and during the…

Examined relationship of maternal sensitivity and infant temperament to attachment security among Korean 1-year-olds. Found that securely attached infants showed more secure-base behaviors and compliance, enjoyed physical contact, and showed fewer fussy/difficult behaviors than did other infants. Infant gender, but not security status, related to…