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Stability of attachment during the preschool period

Ellen Moss1, Chantal Cyr, Jean-François Bureau

  • 1Department of Psychology, Université of Québec at Montréal, PQ, Canada. moss.ellen@uqam.ca

Developmental Psychology
|September 22, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Childhood attachment security shows moderate stability. Changes toward disorganization correlate with poorer parent-child interactions and family stress, impacting child development.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Child Psychology
  • Family Studies

Background:

  • Attachment patterns in early childhood are crucial for socio-emotional development.
  • Understanding the stability of these patterns and associated risk factors is vital for early intervention.
  • Previous research indicates varying degrees of attachment stability across different populations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the stability of children's attachment patterns from preschool to early school age.
  • To identify factors associated with the stability and instability of attachment classifications.
  • To investigate the impact of attachment changes on family dynamics and child-mother interactions.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal study of 120 French Canadian children from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds.
  • Attachment security was assessed at approximately 3.5 and 5.5 years old using laboratory-based separation-reunion procedures.
  • Data analysis included a 4-way classification of attachment and correlational analyses with family factors.

Main Results:

  • Moderate stability (68%) was observed in children's attachment classifications over the 2-year period.
  • Children shifting from secure to disorganized attachment experienced significant declines in interactive quality with their mothers.
  • These children also reported lower marital satisfaction and higher incidence of severe family events like loss or parental hospitalization.

Conclusions:

  • Attachment security demonstrates moderate stability in early childhood, but significant changes can occur.
  • Transitions to disorganized attachment are linked to adverse family environments and diminished parent-child relationship quality.
  • Understanding these dynamics is essential for supporting children's healthy socio-emotional development and family well-being.

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