A meta-analysis of the distribution of preschool and early childhood attachment as assessed in the strange situation procedure and its modified versions

Abstract

The Cassidy-Marvin Preschool Attachment Coding System and the Main-Cassidy sixyear-old system have extended scholars' capacity to measure differences in the developing childparent attachment relationship, and its sequelae, beyond the infancy period. Research using these observational measures of attachment relationships has proliferated in the past few decades; however, the global distribution of the attachment categories in these systems, and potential factors influencing this distribution, remain unknown. This meta-analysis, which synthesized the distribution of attachment classifications as coded with the Cassidy-Marvin Coding System and the Main-Cassidy Coding System, included 97 samples comprising a total of 8,186 children (55% boys). The vast majority of samples (89%) were drawn from North American or European populations, with an average of 76% of individuals identifying as White. Results indicated that the global distribution of child-mother attachment was 53.5% secure, 14.0% avoidant, 11.0% ambivalent, and 21.5% disorganized/controlling. Moderator analyses showed that rates of security were lower, and rates of disorganization were higher in samples of at-risk families, specifically when children were exposed to maltreatment. Variations in the procedure also moderated the distribution. The discussion calls for greater unity around methodological practices and identifies critical avenues for future research using these observational measures of attachment.

The first 20,000 strange situation procedures: A meta-analytic review.

“…However, other measures have been developed to assess secure versus insecure parent–child attachment in the home (Attachment Q-Set; Waters & Deane, 1985). The SSP has also been adapted to assess attachment in preschoolers (Cassidy et al, 1992) and school-aged children (Main & Cassidy, 1988; see Deneault et al (2023) for attachment distributions of these adapted versions of the SSP). Although these are observational measures of parent–child attachment, we did not include these measures for several reasons, including that they have been summarized elsewhere (e.g., Cadman et al, 2018; Van IJzendoorn et al, 2004), are distributed continuously versus categorically (i.e., Cadman et al, 2018; Waters & Deane, 1985), and/or include additional attachment classifications (e.g., controlling-punitive; controlling-caregiving) beyond the four classifications described herein.…”

Maternal and paternal sensitivity: Key determinants of child attachment security examined through meta-analysis.

“…Although the concept of maternal sensitivity was initially conceptualized and explored by Mary Ainsworth in Uganda (Ainsworth, 1967) and attachment research has proliferated across the globe (Deneault, Bureau, et al, 2023; Madigan et al, 2023), it remains the case that the majority of studies (87%) in this meta-analysis have been based in North America and Europe. It should be noted that this meta-analysis may have been limited in its inclusion of studies from some geographical regions given that only studies in English, French, and Spanish were included in CASCADE.…”