Attachment, Temperament, and Preschool Children's Peer Acceptance

Abstract

This study examined the relations between preschool children's attachment security, temperament, and peer acceptance. Ninety-eight preschool children and their mothers were recruited through childcare centers in the southeast. Mothers and their children participated in two two-hour home observations. Attachment security was assessed using the Waters Attachment Behavior Q-set (AQS) completed by observers, and mothers reported on their children's temperament. Standard picture-sociometric nominations and paired-comparisons were used to measure children's peer acceptance. Results revealed significant associations between security and temperament. In addition, both attachment and temperament made significant and unique contributions to peer acceptance whereas temperament was found to be a stronger predictor of children's peer rejection. These findings underscore the dynamic interplay of inter-and intrapersonal factors that influence preschool children's peer relations. Implications of the findings for theory building and future research are discussed.

Influences on the capacities for emotional resilience of teachers in schools serving disadvantaged urban communities: Challenges of living on the edge

“…Children in impoverished homes have also been reported to receive twice as many reprimands as positive comments from parents who tend to be less responsive to their children's needs (Risley & Hart, 2006). Developmental psychologists' studies have found that the lack of stable and caring family relationships have a negative impact on children's social competence and emotional regulation in the long term (Sroufe, 2005;Szewczyk-Sokolowski, Bost, & Wainwright, 2005). The lack of emotional nurturing is likely to contribute to children's on-going behavioral problems, chronic stress, and helplessness.…”

Auto-conceito e representações da vinculação no período pré-escolar

“…Por outro lado, a importância da aceitação dos pares para o bem-estar emocional do sujeito e a ligação desta às experiências de vinculação, tem vindo a ser defendida por inúmeros estudos (Cassidy, Kirsh, & Scolton, 1996;Szewczyk-Sokolowski, Bost, & Wainwright, 2005) que, entre outros aspectos, sugerem uma concordância entre as representações que o sujeito organiza sobre os pares e as representações de vinculação que organiza no contexto das interacções com as figuras cuidadoras: "the idea is that securely attached children, from their positive experiences of the mother as helpful, sensitive, and responsive, develop representations of her as unlikely to do anything to intentionally harm the child and would develop similar representations of at least some others" (Cassidy et al, 1996, p. 900).…”

Exploring the Effects of Attachment Security and Playfulness on Social Competence among 4-year-old Preschool Children

“…관찰방법을 사용하여 유아의 애착 안정성을 측정한 후 사회적 능력과의 관계를 살펴본 선행연구들에서는, 안정적인 애착을 형성하고 있는 유아가 높은 사회적 능력을 보이며 (이상은, 신건호, 2003), 또래 간 분노나 공격성을 덜 보이고(DeMulder, Denham, Schmidt, & Mitchell, 2000;Marcus & Kramer, 2001), 인기도(Szewczyk-Sokolowski, Bost, & Wainwright, 2005)와 리더십(심미경, 2013)이 높으며, 또래에게 먼저 다가가 말을 걸고 관심을 보이는 것으로 보고하고 있다 (Thompson & Lamb, 1983). 반면, 주양육자와 불안정한 애착을 형성한 유아는 안정 애착을 형성한 유아에 비해 아동기와 청소년기 동안 또래와 밀접한 관계를 유지하는 경우가 적고 일탈 행동을 보일 가능성이 높은 것으로 나타났다 (DeMulder et al, 2000).…”