Stress reactivity and attachment security

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M R Gunnar1, L Brodersen, M Nachmias

  • 1Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis 55455, USA.

Developmental Psychobiology
|April 1, 1996
PubMed

Insights

Attachment security influences infant physiological responses to stress. Secure attachment buffers the effects of fearful temperament on cortisol levels, while early maternal responsiveness is linked to lower infant cortisol.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Behavioral Endocrinology
  • Attachment Theory

Background:

  • Infant attachment security is crucial for socio-emotional development.
  • Temperament, particularly fearfulness, can influence stress responses.
  • Maternal responsiveness plays a key role in early child development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between infant attachment security, temperament, and physiological stress responses.
  • To examine how maternal responsiveness influences cortisol levels and attachment.
  • To explore early indicators of attachment and stress reactivity.

Main Methods:

  • Assessed attachment security using the Ainsworth Strange Situation at 18 months.
  • Measured salivary cortisol, behavioral distress, and maternal responsiveness during clinic visits (2-15 months).
  • Classified infants into high-fearful and average-to-low-fearful groups based on parental reports.

Main Results:

  • Insecure attachment combined with high fearfulness correlated with higher cortisol responses to stress.
  • Attachment security was associated with greater maternal responsiveness and lower baseline cortisol in early infancy.
  • Early infant cortisol and behavioral reactivity to inoculations did not predict later attachment.
  • Discrepancies between behavioral and hormonal stress responses in early infancy were linked to insecure attachment and lower maternal responsiveness.

Conclusions:

  • Attachment security moderates the physiological impact of a fearful temperament.
  • Maternal responsiveness in early infancy is linked to secure attachment and lower physiological stress.
  • Early infant stress response patterns may offer insights into later attachment, particularly when considering maternal interaction.

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