Date of Award

Spring 1990

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Psychology

Program/Concentration

Psychology

Committee Director

Raymond H. Kirby

Committee Director

Janis Sanchez-Hucles

Committee Member

Ann B. Lodge

Committee Member

Lynn C. Blackwood

Call Number for Print

Special Collections LD4331.P65W67

Abstract

This study investigates the relationships between initiative and responsive attachment behaviors exchanged between mothers and infants in a free play laboratory observation, and later pattern of attachment. Pearson product-moment correlations revealed significant intercorrelations between frequencies of the different attachment behaviors studied. Factor analysis revealed seven factors, three of which were predictive of attachment security through main or interaction effects. High frequencies of infant eye contact in response to maternal initiations significantly predicted later insecure attachment. Attachment security could also be predicted from frequency rates of infant-initiated proximity seeking and vocalization, and maternal responsive non-parallel body contact. When infant gender was considered, insecure males and secure females and their mothers activated these behaviors significantly more than secure males, insecure females, and their mothers did. These findings are considered in the light of empirical and theoretical literature, with particular attention to human sex differences and to methodology in attachment research.

Rights

In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).

DOI

10.25777/815t-a658

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