Parental sensitivity and child attachment security

I like attachment research, especially that which includes both moms and dads. Today, I present three studies of early experiences with parenting. First, Zhang, Tian, Maclaine, Hazen & Jacobvitz (2024) published “Trust Over the Transition to Parenthood: Links to attachment, perception of partner’s caregiving, and parenting” in Journal of Family Psychology. Here’s the edited abstract:

We examined couples’ dyadic trust profiles over the transition to parenthood and their associations with couples’ attachment representations, perceptions of partner’s caregiving, and parenting quality. We followed 125 couples from pregnancy to 24 months postpartum and applied the latent profile analysis (LPA) to examine whether distinct dyadic patterns of trust would emerge among couples. We then examined couples’ attachment representations and perceptions of partner’s caregiving as factors that might explain their trust profiles. Finally, we examined how couples’ trust profiles would be related to their parenting quality 24 months postpartum. The dyadic LPA yielded three trust profiles: a both high profile (N = 64), a mother high, father moderate profile (N = 42), and a mother moderate to low, father moderate profile (N = 19). Mothers with dismissing attachment were able to hold high-stable trust when their partner also held high trust toward them, whereas mothers with preoccupied attachment, in general, were likely to have low and declining trust over time. Mothers’ more positive perceptions of their husband’s caregiving quality were also related to their high-stable trust over time. Mothers’ high trust, in turn, was associated with their less emotionally disengaged and less role-reversed parenting. The findings highlight mothers’ important role in couples’ dyadic trust over the transition to parenthood. Implications of study findings are discussed. 

Attachment and trust are closely related and I liked the premise that the transitions to parenting would be affected both by attachment status and trust in one’s partner. The next study also looks at both parents. Madigan et al. (2024) published “Maternal and Paternal Sensitivity: Key determinants of child attachment security examined through meta-analysis” in Psychological Bulletin. Here are the edited abstract and impact statements:

Sensitive caregiving behavior, which involves the ability to notice, interpret, and quickly respond to a child’s signals of need and/or interest, is a central determinant of secure child–caregiver attachment. Yet, significant heterogeneity in effect sizes exists across the literature, and sources of heterogeneity have yet to be explained. For all child–caregiver dyads, there was a significant and positive pooled association between caregiver sensitivity and parent–child attachment (r = .25, 95% CI [.22, .28], k = 174, 230 effect sizes, N = 22,914). We also found a positive association between maternal sensitivity and child attachment security (r = .26, 95% CI [.22, .29], k = 159, 202 effect sizes, N = 21,483), which was equivalent in magnitude to paternal sensitivity and child attachment security (r = .21, 95% CI [.14, 27], k = 22, 23 effect sizes, N = 1,626). Maternal sensitivity was also negatively associated with all three classifications of insecure attachment (avoidant: k = 43, r = −.24 [−.34, −.13]; resistant: k = 43, r = −.12 [−.19, −.06]; disorganized: k = 24, r = −.19 [−.27, −.11]). For maternal sensitivity, associations were larger in studies that used the Attachment Q-Sort (vs. the Strange Situation), used the Maternal Behavior Q-Sort (vs. Ainsworth or Emotional Availability Scales), had strong (vs. poor) interrater measurement reliability, had a longer observation of sensitivity, and had less time elapse between assessments. For paternal sensitivity, associations were larger in older (vs. younger) fathers and children. These findings confirm the importance of both maternal and paternal sensitivity for the development of child attachment security and add understanding of the methodological and substantive factors that allow this effect to be observed.

The quality of care children receive from caregivers can shape the foundations of a thriving society. Sensitive caregiver behavior involves the ability to notice, interpret, and quickly respond to a child’s signals of need and/or interest. Findings from our research suggests that caregivers’ sensitive behavior toward their child plays a pivotal role in fostering children’s secure attachment. We found that associations were similar for both mothers and fathers. These findings stress the urgency of allocating resources and supports to enhance sensitive caregiver behavior, to in turn promote healthier child–parent relationships. 

Sensitive responsive caregiving by both parents is obviously ideal and this work nicely emphasizes its importance. I find it especially interesting that, when fathers and their children are older, parental sensitivity and child attachment are more strongly related. The final study relates only to moms but makes an important point. Raneberg & MacCallum (2024) published “Maternal Ambivalence Questionnaire (MAQ): Development and Preliminary Validation” in Journal of Family Psychology.  Here’s the edited abstract:

Maternal ambivalence refers to the simultaneous experience of both negative and positive feelings about motherhood and the child. It has been suggested that maternal ambivalence exists on a continuum from manageable (healthy) to unmanageable (problematic) and can have wide-ranging psychological consequences. However, there are currently no empirically validated measures for examining manageable or unmanageable maternal ambivalence. In this article, we outline the development and initial validation of the Maternal Ambivalence Questionnaire (MAQ). An online study was conducted to evaluate the factor structure, construct validity, reliability, and relationships of the MAQ with demographic characteristics. The participants included a community sample of 502 mothers living in the United Kingdom with at least one child aged 0–11 years. Statistical analyses demonstrated a good fit for the 20-item measure and suggested five theoretically consistent factors. These factors are assessment of one’s perception of self as a mother, awareness of conflicting feelings about motherhood, suppression of negative feelings about motherhood, internalization of negative feelings about motherhood, and externalization of negative feelings about motherhood. These factors were related in theoretically expected ways to parental reflective functioning capacity, parenting stress and guilt, and symptoms of depression. The study’s findings indicate that the MAQ is a robust and reliable measure that contributes to a theoretical understanding and practical assessment of maternal ambivalence, facilitating insight into emotional challenges of motherhood. 

Here, I am impressed by two things. The idea that new moms may experience ambivalence is an important one and I appreciate the five factors they identify. I also like the relationships to reflective functioning, parenting stress and guilt, and symptoms of depression.