Coping with security distress: the Separation Anxiety Test and attachment classification at 4.5 years

The hypothesis that the same organization of attachment that can been seen in reunion with mother following a separation would be revealed in the child's responses to separation pictures was upheld. This supports the construct of an internal working model of attachment. Children classified as secure in reunion, compared to those classified as insecure, were more emotionally open to appropriate negative feeling, without being over-expressive, and showed a greater ability to tolerate security distress aroused by the separation pictures without raising defences against it. Responses of avoidant, ambivalent and controlling groups showed elements of the same organization revealed in reunion behaviour. These data support the validity of the Separation Anxiety Test (SAT) as an attachment instrument, but are not strong enough to suggest using it as an alternative to classifications.