Date of Award
2011
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science
Program
Psychology
Supervisor
Dr. Greg Moran
Abstract
This longitudinal study investigated the extent to which infant negative emotionality and maternal sensitivity predicted various aspects of infant-mother attachment. Infant and maternal behaviour was assessed at three time points: infant negative emotionality in the still-face paradigm at 4 months, maternal sensitivity in the home at 10 months, and infant-mother attachment in the Strange Situation at 13 months. Analyses were conducted using categorical and continuous measures of attachment from 62 infant- mother dyads. ANOVAs and hierarchical multiple regression analyses indicated that maternal sensitivity scores predicted infants’ security of attachment (B/not-B), but not emotionality in the Strange Situation (A1-B2/B3-C2). Infant negative emotionality was not associated with attachment security or emotionality. Support for a moderational model was not found. Neither infant negative emotionality nor maternal sensitivity predicted disorganized attachment. This study adds to the conflicting pool of research that has examined empirical associations among infant emotionality, maternal sensitivity, and attachment.
Recommended Citation
Best, Caitlin E., "EXAMINING ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN INFANT NEGATIVE EMOTIONALITY, MATERNAL SENSITIVITY, AND ATTACHMENT IN A LONGITUDINAL SAMPLE" (2011). Digitized Theses. 3353.
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/digitizedtheses/3353