The neural correlates of attachment security in typically developing children
Eun Jung Choi1, Margot J Taylor2, Soon-Beom Hong3
1Department of Child and Family Studies, College of Human Ecology, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea; Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada.
Brain and Cognition
|May 5, 2018
Summary
Children
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Attachment Theory
Background:
- Attachment security in children is crucial for socio-emotional development.
- Understanding the neural underpinnings of attachment security can inform interventions.
- Previous research has linked attachment styles to socio-emotional processing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the neural correlates of attachment security in children using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
- To examine brain activation patterns associated with secure versus insecure attachment during socio-emotional tasks.
Main Methods:
- Fifty-one boys (mean age 9.5 years) had their attachment styles assessed using the Separation Anxiety Test (SAT).
- An fMRI-compatible version of the SAT was developed to activate the attachment system.
- fMRI data from 21 participants were analyzed, contrasting conditions involving emotional inference and object identification.
Main Results:
- Attachment security was detectable at the neural level, correlating with behavioral assessments.
- Securely attached children exhibited greater activation in frontal, limbic, and basal ganglia regions (including dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, amygdala, cingulate cortex, and striatum) compared to less securely attached children.
- The striatum showed the largest effects, positively correlating with emotional openness and mediating approach/avoidance motivation.
Conclusions:
- Attachment quality influences neural processing in socio-emotional and motivational brain networks.
- The striatum plays a key role in mediating the relationship between attachment security and approach/avoidance motivation.
- Findings suggest that early attachment experiences shape the brain's motivational systems.
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