EXAMINING EARLY INTERVENTION AND INFANT ATTACHMENT AS PREDICTORS OF CHILDREN’S PERCEIVED ATTACHMENT SECURITY AND PARENTAL SENSITIVITY IN MIDDLE CHILDHOOD

Mary DozierWhen infants develop disorganized attachments, they have an increased risk of later negative outcomes into middle childhood and on into adulthood. The first goal of this study was to examine attachment in infancy as a predictor of children’s perceived attachment security and parenting behaviors in middle childhood. The second goal was to examine whether the Attachment and Biobehavioral Catchup (ABC), an early intervention aimed at improving parenting behaviors in infancy predicted children’s perceived attachment security and parenting behaviors in middle childhood. After parents received ABC or a control intervention, children’s attachment quality in infancy was assessed in the Strange Situation. Middle childhood attachment security ratings were assessed at age nine using the Kerns Security Scale, and parenting behaviors were assessed using a structured observational task. Attachment quality in infancy predicted middle childhood attachment security ratings. Specifically, children with organized attachments reported higher middle childhood attachment security ratings than disorganized children. Additionally, children who received ABC reported higher levels of perceived attachment security to their parents than children who received the control intervention. Attachment in infancy and intervention status did not predict parenting behaviors in middle childhood. Results highlight the lasting effects of an early intervention on children’s perceived attachment security in middle childhood and the importance of promoting attachment relationships during infancy.Psycholog