Dyadic synchrony in parent–child interactions: A link with maternal representations of attachment relationships

Abstract

The study examined the relation between maternal representations of attachment relationships from childhood and current parent–child interactions with their own preschool aged children. Thirty‐six mother–child dyads were recruited from a community sample. The Adult Attachment Interview was converted into a questionnaire (AAIQ) and used to classify mothers as either “secure” or “insecure.” The mother–child dyads then engaged in a 20‐min, videotaped play interaction task. The quality of maternal representations of attachment relationships was related to the degree of dyadic synchrony, as well as maternal affect and style of relating. Secure mothers and their children engaged in a more fluid, synchronous process of give‐and‐take than insecure mothers and their children. In addition, secure mothers expressed more warmth and affection, and their style of relating was less intrusive and more encouraging of child autonomy than insecure mothers. Children of secure mothers sought closer contact and were more compliant than children of insecure mothers. These interaction patterns were uniquely related to maternal representations of attachment, independent of maternal age, education and SES. There were no differences in these patterns of relating between mothers who had experienced loving relationships in childhood (continuous secure) and mothers who had come to terms with unloving and painful childhood relationships (earned secure). Therefore, rather than the quality of childhood histories, it was the manner in which these early experiences were mentally organized and integrated in adulthood that was significantly related to current parent–child interaction patterns. Finally, these differences in parent–child interaction patterns that were apparent on the observational measure were in contrast to information obtained from a maternal self‐report measure. © 1997 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health

Mother-Child Dyadic Synchrony in European American and African American Families during Early Adolescence: Relations with Self-Esteem and Prosocial Behavior

“…In particular, children from dyads marked by shared positive affect and conversational equality were more likely than other children to be rated by teachers as engaging in high levels of prosocial behavior with peers. Following the tenants of attachment theory, and consistent with previous research (Crandell et al, 1997;Isabella & Belsky, 1991), it may be that synchronous interaction contributes to a secure mother-child attachment relationship. In turn, securely attached children develop a working model of others as being trustworthy and are more likely to engage in prosocial behavior with peers.…”

“…Consistent with this view, Gross and McCallum (2006) found that daughters who perceived their relationship with their mother as being highly synchronous had higher levels of self-esteem. Researchers also have posited that a synchronous mother-child relationship promotes cooperative views of others (Crandell, Fitzgerald, & Whipple, 1997;, enhances perspective-taking skills (Barber et al, 2001), and contributes to nonselfish choices that lead to higher levels of prosocial behavior (Kochanska et al, 2005;Raver, 1996). Indirect evidence in support of this argument comes from empirical links between synchrony and children's social competence with peers (Pettit, & Harrist, 1993), social skills (Criss et al, 2003), and positive relationships with peers (Lindsey, Mize, & Pettit, 1997).…”

Parenting and Development of One‐Year‐Olds: Links with Parental, Contextual, and Child Characteristics

“…In a meta-analysis of 10 studies of the relation between parents' attachment representations and responsiveness, van IJzendoorn (1995) found effect sizes ranging from .35, r ϭ .17, to 1.37, r ϭ .57. Recent studies have also found parents who were classified as securely attached to be more responsive, sensitive, and warm when compared with insecure parents (Crandell, Fitzgerald, & Whipple, 1997;Pederson, Gleason, Moran, & Bento, 1998). In keeping with Belsky's (1984) model, we expected the relation between parents' attachment security and parenting to be mediated by parental personality in the form of ego-resiliency.…”

The Effects of Intimate Partner Violence on Women and Child Survivors: An Attachment Perspective

“…The adult caregiving system is comprised of motivational strategies of infant care that are guided by internalized representations of the self as caregiver and of the infant (Solomon & George, 1996;Zeanah & Benoit, 1995). These strategies are themselves guided by the mother's own history of attachment and early caregiver interactions (Crandell, Fitzgerald, & Whipple, 1997;Slade & Cohen, 1996;Winnicott, 1960), such that the mother enacts internalized representations of self-other interactions, and this enactment in parenting behaviors shapes the development of the infant's internalized representations and attachment style (Zeanah, Benoit, Hirshberg, Barton, & Regan, 1994). Given that attachment insecurity is associated with involvement in violent intimate relationships in adulthood (Allison et al, 2008;Babcock et al, 2000), the disruptive effects of IPV on maternal caregiving representations and concomitant distortions in the infant's working attachment models may serve as a mechanism through which experiences of intimate partner violence are transmitted across generations.…”