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Temperament and attachment security in the strange situation: an empirical rapprochement
Insights
Infant temperament influences how attachment security is expressed, not its development. This study found distinct temperamental differences between infants showing specific attachment patterns in the Strange Situation test.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Attachment Theory
- Infant Behavior
Background:
- Previous research indicates differences in emotional expression between infants classified A1-B2 and B3-C2 in the Strange Situation.
- The role of infant temperament in these observed differences requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine whether group differences in infant emotional expression (A1-B2 vs. B3-C2) are influenced by infant temperament.
- To explore the relationship between infant temperament and attachment classifications.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of longitudinal data from three independent samples.
- Assessment of Strange Situation classifications (infant-mother and infant-father) using A1-B2 vs. B3-C2 and traditional A-B-C systems.
- Inclusion of newborn behavioral data (autonomic stability, alertness, positive responsiveness) and maternal reports on infant temperament.
Main Results:
- Significant concordance was found between infant-parent Strange Situation classifications for the A1-B2 versus B3-C2 grouping, but not for the traditional A-B-C system.
- Infants in the A1-B2 group exhibited greater autonomic stability as newborns compared to the B3-C2 group.
- Mothers of A1-B2 infants reported them as less difficult to care for at 3 months of age.
Conclusions:
- Infant temperament appears to shape the expression of attachment security or insecurity, rather than determining the development of attachment itself.
- These findings have implications for understanding the interactional antecedents and developmental outcomes of attachment security.
Abstract:
In response to Frodi and Thompson's recent demonstration that infants classified A1-B2 in the Strange Situation differ significantly in emotional expression from infants classified B3-C2, several longitudinal data sets were examined to determine whether these group differences might be a function of infant temperament. Data from 3 separate samples revealed significant concordance between infant-mother and infant-father Strange Situation classifications when scored in terms of A1-B2 versus B3-C2, but not when scored in terms of the traditional A-B-C system. In addition, in 2 samples on which newborn behavioral data were available, A1-B2 infants displayed more autonomic stability than B3-C2 infants, and in one of the samples the former infants were more alert and positively responsive as newborns (with means in the same direction in Sample 2). Moreover, mothers of A1-B2 infants described their babies as less difficult to care for at 3 months of age. Considered together, these findings suggest that infant temperament affects the manner in which security or insecurity is expressed rather than whether or not the infant develops a secure or insecure attachment. These findings are discussed in terms of their implications for the study of the interactional antecedents and the developmental consequences of attachment security.