PPT Slide
Attachment Representations and Secure Base Support of Young Children:
Are Mothers and Fathers Different?
Melanie E. Elliott, Everett Waters, Yuan Gao
Many studies have illustrated the significant relation between maternal attachment representations and infant attachment security (van IJzendoorn, Kranenburg, Zwart-Woudstra, van Busschbach, & Lambermon, 1991; Grossman, Fremmer-Bombik, Rudolph, & Grossman, 1988; Main, Kaplan, & Cassidy, 1985). Several studies have also investigated the significant relation between maternal attachment representation and maternal secure base support (Grossman Grossman, Spangler, Suess, & Unzner, 1985; Ainsworth, Blehar, Waters, & Wall, 1978). However, very little research has investigated the relation between maternal attachment representation and maternal secure base support beyond infancy. Even less research has investigated the relationship between attachment representations and secure base behavior with fathers. The relation between fathers’ attachment representations and their children’s security has generally been weaker than that of mothers, but reasons why are not very clear (van IJzendoorn, 1995).
In this study, we extend previous research (Gao, Elliott, & Waters, 1999) by exploring the differences in meaning of AAI security for mothers’ and fathers’ secure base support of their children. In addition, we examine the relations among parental secure base behavior, parental stress, and feelings about the marital relationship.