Infant-mother attachment: relationships to maternal responsiveness and infant temperament

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships between maternal responsiveness, infant temperament, and infant-mother attachment as measured in Ainsworth's Strange Situation. Discriminant analysis revealed that infant temperament was more strongly related to attachment than maternal responsiveness. Infants rated as Anxious-Avoidant in attachment were perceived by their mothers as significantly easier in temperament. Possible explanations for findings and implications for nurses working with infants and parents are discussed.