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Attachment01:20

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Attachment is vital for infant development, as warm social interactions support growth and well-being. In a classic 1958 study by Harry Harlow, the significance of warmth and comfort in forming attachments was examined. Harlow separated newborn monkeys from their mothers and provided two artificial "mothers": one made of cold wire and the other covered in soft cloth. Despite the wire mother offering food, the infant monkeys preferred the comfort of the cloth mother, demonstrating that...
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 5, 2026

Using a Murine Model of Psychosocial Stress in Pregnancy as a Translationally Relevant Paradigm for Psychiatric Disorders in Mothers and Infants
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Maternal anxiety, maternal sensitivity, and attachment.

Joan Stevenson-Hinde1, Rebecca Chicot, Anne Shouldice

  • 1a Sub-Department of Animal Behaviour , University of Cambridge , Cambridge , UK.

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|December 5, 2013
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Summary

Maternal anxiety influences maternal sensitivity, which in turn impacts child attachment security. Specific maternal behaviors, not anxiety itself, predict attachment patterns.

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Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Attachment Theory
  • Child Psychology

Background:

  • Maternal anxiety is linked to insecure child attachment.
  • The mediating role of maternal sensitivity remains underexplored.
  • Understanding these pathways is crucial for early intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if maternal sensitivity mediates the relationship between maternal anxiety and child attachment security.
  • To identify specific maternal sensitivity behaviors associated with different attachment patterns.
  • To examine the predictive power of maternal sensitivity versus maternal anxiety on attachment outcomes.

Main Methods:

  • Study included 98 mothers with 4.5-year-old children, categorized by anxiety levels.
  • Maternal sensitivity was assessed through direct observations of home and laboratory interactions.
  • Attachment security was evaluated using established methods, with analyses including regression and ANOVA.

Main Results:

  • Maternal anxiety significantly predicted all measured aspects of maternal sensitivity.
  • Maternal sensitivity measures, not maternal anxiety, were significant predictors of child attachment security.
  • Specific maternal sensitivity ratings were uniquely associated with Avoidant, Secure, Ambivalent, and Controlling attachment patterns.

Conclusions:

  • Maternal sensitivity acts as a key mediator between maternal anxiety and child attachment.
  • Targeting specific maternal sensitivity behaviors may be more effective than solely addressing maternal anxiety.
  • Findings contribute to a nuanced understanding of attachment development in early childhood.