1
|
Li X, McElwain NL, Tu KM. Early Mother-Child Interaction Flexibility Predicts Adolescent Psychological Adjustment. J Youth Adolesc 2024:10.1007/s10964-024-02059-7. [PMID: 39078572 DOI: 10.1007/s10964-024-02059-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2024] [Accepted: 07/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/31/2024]
Abstract
Although greater mother-child interaction flexibility has been linked with overall better adjustment within early childhood and adolescence, whether this link persists across the two developmental periods remains unknown. This longitudinal study examined mother-toddler flexibility in affective and behavioral exchanges as predictors of adolescents' externalizing and internalizing symptoms. Sample included 128 families with their 33-month-old toddlers (52% female), of whom 67 returned in adolescence (M age = 13.25 years, SD = 0.59). Greater affective flexibility during play and behavioral flexibility during snack predicted fewer parent-reported externalizing (but not internalizing) symptoms ten years later, controlling for the positivity-negativity of mother-toddler interactions, early-childhood adjustment, and mother-adolescent flexibility. The findings highlight the unique, prospective role of early-life caregiving flexibility in mitigating adolescents' behavioral problems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaomei Li
- Department of Psychology, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
| | - Nancy L McElwain
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
| | - Kelly M Tu
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Yang R, Gu Y, Cui L, Li X, Way N, Yoshikawa H, Chen X, Okazaki S, Zhang G, Liang Z, Waters TEA. A cognitive script perspective on how early caregiving experiences inform adolescent peer relationships and loneliness: A 14-year longitudinal study of Chinese families. Dev Sci 2024:e13522. [PMID: 38676297 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Leveraging data from a longitudinal study of Chinese families (n = 364), this research aims to understand the role of secure base script knowledge as a cognitive mechanism by which early caregiving experiences inform adolescents' friendship quality and feelings of loneliness. Results showed that observed maternal sensitivity at 14 and 24 months old was negatively associated with adolescents' self-reported conflicts with close friends (β = -0.17, p = 0.044) at 15 years old, and this association was partially mediated by their secure base script knowledge assessed at 10 years old. Further, secure base script knowledge moderated the link between adolescents' friend conflict and feelings of loneliness (β = -0.15, p = 0.037). The results support a cognitive script perspective on the association between early caregiving experiences and later socio-emotional adjustment. Furthermore, this study adds to the developmental literature that has previously focused on more stringent and authoritarian aspects of parenting in Chinese families, thereby contributing to our understanding of how sensitive and supportive parenting practices contribute to socio-emotional development outside of Western contexts. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Maternal sensitivity during infancy and toddlerhood has a long-term association with adolescents' friendship quality and adolescents' secure base script partially explains the association. First evidence to demonstrate that the secure base script in attachment relationships mediates the association between early maternal caregiving and socio-emotional development in Chinese adolescents. Adolescents lacking secure base script knowledge are particularly vulnerable to feelings of loneliness when facing high levels of conflict in close friendships.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rui Yang
- Department of Psychology, New York University- Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, UAE
| | - Yufei Gu
- Department of Psychology, New York University- Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, UAE
- Department of Applied Psychology, New York University, New York, USA
| | - Lixian Cui
- Division of Arts and Sciences, New York University Shanghai, Shanghai, China
| | - Xuan Li
- Division of Arts and Sciences, New York University Shanghai, Shanghai, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Kobenhavn, Denmark
| | - Niobe Way
- Department of Applied Psychology, New York University, New York, USA
| | | | - Xinyin Chen
- Human Development and Quantitative Methods Division, University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Sumie Okazaki
- Department of Applied Psychology, New York University, New York, USA
| | - Guangzhen Zhang
- Research Center for Learning Science, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zongbao Liang
- Research Center for Learning Science, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Theodore E A Waters
- Department of Psychology, New York University- Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, UAE
- Department of Applied Psychology, New York University, New York, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Schulz S, Nelemans S, Hadiwijaya H, Klimstra T, Crocetti E, Branje S, Meeus W. The future is present in the past: A meta-analysis on the longitudinal associations of parent-adolescent relationships with peer and romantic relationships. Child Dev 2023; 94:7-27. [PMID: 36004764 PMCID: PMC10087754 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Positive peer and romantic relationships are crucial for adolescents' positive adjustment and relationships with parents lay the foundation for these relationships. This longitudinal meta-analysis examined how parent-adolescent relationships continue into later peer and romantic relationships. Included longitudinal studies (k = 54 involving peer relationships, k = 38 involving romantic relationships) contained demographically diverse samples from predominantly Western cultural contexts. Multilevel meta-regressions indicated that supportive and negative parent-adolescent relationships were associated with supportive and negative future peer and romantic relationships. Meta-analytic structural equation modeling (k = 54) indicated that supportive parent-adolescent relationships unidirectionally predicted supportive and negative peer relationships, while negative parent-adolescent relationships were bidirectionally associated with supportive and negative peer relationships. Maintaining mutually supportive relationships with parents may help adolescents to develop positive social relationships.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Schulz
- Youth and Family, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | | | - Hana Hadiwijaya
- Department of Developmental Psychology, Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands
| | - Theo Klimstra
- Department of Developmental Psychology, Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands
| | | | - Susan Branje
- Youth and Family, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Wim Meeus
- Youth and Family, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Heinrichs N, Brühl A. Preventing Revictimization Through a Web-Based Intervention for Primary Caregivers of Youth in Care (EMPOWERYOU): Protocol for a Randomized Factorial Trial. JMIR Res Protoc 2022; 11:e38183. [DOI: 10.2196/38183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background
Children in foster care are at a higher risk for relationship problems than their counterparts raised by their biological family because of higher exposure to or prevalence of neglect or maltreatment early in life. Consequently, these children may also show more challenging behavior in their foster families, which in turn increases the parental stress experience of foster caregivers. Furthermore, the children may engage in a vicious cycle of risky relationship behaviors and expectations that put them at a greater risk for revictimization.
Objective
To support foster caregivers in reducing the risk for revictimization, several intervention modules delivered via the internet were developed using a consumer-based approach (phase 1 of the multiphase optimization strategy). This project (phase 2 of the multiphase optimization strategy) aimed to develop a sustainable intervention by selecting promising intervention components based on their contribution to the outcome.
Methods
In a 24 factorial trial, a total of 317 foster caregivers with children aged 8 to 13 years are randomly assigned to 1 of 16 conditions. The primary outcome is the rate of revictimization from baseline to 3 months after intervention. Secondary outcomes include risk-taking and functional behaviors in relationships. All caregivers will receive access to all the intervention components after the follow-up assessment. The participants assigned to the condition with all component levels on are expected to show the best improvement in the primary and secondary outcomes.
Results
Recruitment and data collection for the factorial trial started in March 2022 and is ongoing. As of October 2022, we recruited 181 families. Although it is difficult to predict the exact study timeline owing to COVID-19 pandemic–related delays, results are expected in February 2024.
Conclusions
There is a need for easily accessible information related to raising children in foster care who have experienced early life adversities to interrupt the cycle of violence and enhance the developmental pathway of health and emotional stability. It might be useful, in addition to generally useful parenting information (eg, parental self-care or emotion regulation management), to specifically focus on the needs of these caregivers (eg, how to support the child to reduce dysfunctional relationship behaviors that may have developed because of early adverse experiences).
Trial Registration
ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05235659; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05235659
International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)
DERR1-10.2196/38183
Collapse
|
5
|
Van den Akker AL, Majdandzic M, de Vente W, Asscher JJ, Bögels S. Just as they expected: How parents' expectations about their unborn child's characteristics provide a context for early transactions between parenting and child temperament. Front Psychol 2022; 13:942392. [PMID: 36204739 PMCID: PMC9530037 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.942392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Prenatal expectations about what children will be like after birth may provide a context for how parents perceive their infant's actual temperament. We examined how these expectations and perceptions are associated and together predict early parenting behavior, with parenting behavior in turn predicting changes in temperament. Reports of 125 families (N = 122 fathers; N = 123 mothers; sample 1) about their expectations of their unborn child's temperament (negative affectivity, surgency, regulation, T1), their infant's temperament at 4 and 12 months post-partum (T2 and T3), and their hostile, responsive, warm, and overprotective parenting (T2) were included. We also included data from an independent sample of 168 mothers (sample 2), with the same measures, except that mothers reported on Big Five personality traits at T1. Results indicated that in both samples, parents' expectations were positively associated with perceptions of infant temperament. Prenatal expectations and newborn temperament independently predicted parenting behavior, and maternal and paternal parenting in turn predicted infant temperament at T3, controlling for infant temperament at T2. Although overall findings indicated associations between (expectations of) a more difficult temperament and more negative/less positive parenting, significant combinations of specific traits and parenting behaviors were sample-specific—indicating that more research is necessary to draw a conclusion about specific links. Both maternal and paternal expectations about their unborn child's temperament appear to carry over into the postpartum reality and provide a context for shaping early interactions between caregivers and their children, which may further shape the developing temperament of the child.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alithe L. Van den Akker
- Research Institute Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- *Correspondence: Alithe L. Van den Akker
| | - Mirjana Majdandzic
- Research Institute Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Wieke de Vente
- Research Institute Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Jessica J. Asscher
- Clinical Child, Family, and Education Studies, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Susan Bögels
- Research Institute Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
|
7
|
Moors AC, Ryan W, Chopik WJ. Multiple loves: The effects of attachment with multiple concurrent romantic partners on relational functioning. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2019.04.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
|
8
|
Park Y, Debrot A, Spielmann SS, Joel S, Impett E, MacDonald G. Distinguishing Dismissing From Fearful Attachment in the Association Between Closeness and Commitment. SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PERSONALITY SCIENCE 2019. [DOI: 10.1177/1948550618768823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
When avoidantly attached individuals are simultaneously high in attachment anxiety, they are inclined to experience strong internal conflicts between seeking and avoiding closeness. This research examined whether the extent to which closeness, assessed as the inclusion of other in the self (IOS), is associated with greater commitment varies within individuals high in attachment avoidance as a result of differences in ambivalence toward maintaining the relationship. In two studies ( N1 = 1,604, N2 = 2,271), we found that the positive association between IOS and commitment was significantly weaker when attachment avoidance was combined with high (vs. low) attachment anxiety. In Study 2, we found lingering relational ambivalence even at high levels of IOS among individuals simultaneously high in attachment avoidance and anxiety, which in turn was related to relatively low commitment. Our findings highlight the role of relational ambivalence in avoidants’ relationship functioning and the need to examine the interplay of the two attachment dimensions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yoobin Park
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Anik Debrot
- University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Emily Impett
- University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
| | - Geoff MacDonald
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Kapusta ND, Jankowski KS, Wolf V, Chéron-Le Guludec M, Lopatka M, Hammerer C, Schnieder A, Kealy D, Ogrodniczuk JS, Blüml V. Measuring the Capacity to Love: Development of the CTL-Inventory. Front Psychol 2018; 9:1115. [PMID: 30087627 PMCID: PMC6066550 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2018] [Accepted: 06/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: The individual capacity to love (CTL) has been linked to various mental health parameters and is considered to be an important outcome parameter of psychotherapeutic treatment. However, empirical examinations of the concept have not been conducted up to now. The aim of this study was to develop a valid and reliable instrument for the assessment of CTL [Capacity to Love Inventory (CTL-I)] as a trait of personality, which is shown to be related to clinically relevant symptoms and conditions. Method: Four independent healthy samples in Austria (n = 547, n = 174, and n = 85) and Poland (n = 240) were assessed by a prototype of the CTL-I and its final shorter version in a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Internal consistency of the total questionnaire and each subscale was assessed by Cronbach alpha. External validity was measured against Beck Depression Inventory, Quality of Relationship Inventory, Sociosexual Orientation Inventory, Pathological Narcissism Inventory, and Narcissistic Personality Inventory according to the theoretical framework of the CTL concept. Further test–retest reliability was assessed. Results: The CFA confirmed 41 items in six dimensions: Interest in the life project of the other, Basic trust, Humility and gratitude, Common ego ideal, Permanence of sexual passion, and Acceptance of loss/jealousy/mourning. The Cronbach alphas of the total CTL-I and its subscales ranged between 0.67 and 0.90 in all samples, suggesting a valid construct. The CTL-I was moderately positively associated with quality of relationship (Support r = 0.63, Conflict r = -0.66, and Depth r = 0.66) and inversely associated with symptoms of depression (r = -0.37), pathological narcissism (r = -0.29) and promiscuity (r = -0.42). The test–retest reliability of the total CTL-I was high with r = 0.81, suggesting the stability of answers over time. Conclusion: The proposed 41-item version of the CTL-I is a psychometrically sound and validated instrument measuring six dimensions of the concept of the CTL. The reported negative associations with clinically relevant parameters such as depression, pathological narcissism and promiscuity as well as associations with relationship qualities such as conflicts, support, and depth warrant its future use in burdened populations including couples in clinical settings.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nestor D Kapusta
- Department for Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Viktoria Wolf
- Department for Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Madlen Lopatka
- Department for Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christopher Hammerer
- Department for Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Alina Schnieder
- Department for Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - David Kealy
- Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - John S Ogrodniczuk
- Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Victor Blüml
- Department for Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Xia M, Fosco GM, Lippold MA, Feinberg ME. A Developmental Perspective on Young Adult Romantic Relationships: Examining Family and Individual Factors in Adolescence. J Youth Adolesc 2018; 47:1499-1516. [PMID: 29435787 DOI: 10.1007/s10964-018-0815-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2017] [Accepted: 01/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The ability to develop and maintain healthy romantic relationships is a key developmental task in young adulthood. The present study investigated how adolescent interpersonal skills (assertiveness, positive engagement) and family processes (family climate, parenting practices) influence the development of young adult romantic relationship functioning. We evaluated cross-lag structural equation models with a sample of 974 early adolescents living in rural and semi-rural communities in Pennsylvania and Iowa, starting in sixth grade (mean age = 12.4, 62.1% female) and followed into young adulthood (mean age = 19.5). Findings revealed that adolescents who had experienced a more positive family climate and more competent parenting reported more effective problem-solving skills and less violent behavior in their young adult romantic relationships. Adolescent assertiveness was consistently positively associated with relationship problem-solving skills, and adolescents' positive engagement with their family was associated with feeling more love in young adult romantic relationships. In addition, family functioning and adolescent interpersonal skills exhibited some reciprocal relations over the adolescent years. In summary, family processes and interpersonal skills are mutually influenced by each other across adolescence, and both have unique predictive implications to specific facets of young adult romantic relationship functioning.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mengya Xia
- Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, USA.
| | - Gregory M Fosco
- Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, USA
| | - Melissa A Lippold
- School of Social Work, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Mark E Feinberg
- Prevention Research Center, The Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Raby KL, Roisman GI, Labella MH, Martin J, Fraley RC, Simpson JA. The Legacy of Early Abuse and Neglect for Social and Academic Competence From Childhood to Adulthood. Child Dev 2018; 90:1684-1701. [PMID: 29336018 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
This study used data from the Minnesota Longitudinal Study of Risk and Adaptation (N = 267) to investigate whether abuse and neglect experiences during the first 5 years of life have fading or enduring consequences for social and academic competence over the next 3 decades of life. Experiencing early abuse and neglect was consistently associated with more interpersonal problems and lower academic achievement from childhood through adulthood (32-34 years). The predictive significance of early abuse and neglect was not attributable to the stability of developmental competence over time, nor to abuse and neglect occurring later in childhood. Early abuse and neglect had enduring associations with social (but not academic) competence after controlling for potential demographic confounds and early sensitive caregiving.
Collapse
|
12
|
Stanton SCE, Zilioli S, Briskin JL, Imami L, Tobin ET, Wildman DE, Mair-Meijers H, Luca F, Kane HS, Slatcher RB. Mothers' Attachment is Linked to their Children's Anti-Inflammatory Gene Expression via Maternal Warmth. SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PERSONALITY SCIENCE 2017; 8:796-805. [PMID: 30410663 DOI: 10.1177/1948550616687125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Research has demonstrated links between adult romantic attachment and one's own physical health; little is known about links between adult attachment orientations and offspring health. Prior work has shown that parents' greater attachment anxiety and avoidance predicts less warmth toward their children. Extensive work has also shown that lower maternal warmth has negative downstream effects on offspring health. We tested the novel hypothesis that mothers' dispositional romantic attachment would be linked-via maternal warmth-to their children's expression of the glucocorticoid receptor gene NR3C1, higher expression of which is associated with healthier stress-regulation and inflammatory response. In a sample of 132 youth with asthma, we found that mothers' attachment anxiety and avoidance were both negatively associated with children's expression of NR3C1, explained by lower youth-rated maternal warmth. Effects held after adjusting for demographic and psychosocial covariates. Implications for parents' attachment influencing the health of offspring are discussed.
Collapse
|
13
|
Briere J, Runtz M, Eadie E, Bigras N, Godbout N. Disengaged parenting: Structural equation modeling with child abuse, insecure attachment, and adult symptomatology. CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT 2017; 67:260-270. [PMID: 28284895 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2017.02.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2016] [Revised: 02/06/2017] [Accepted: 02/27/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Based on attachment theory, we hypothesized that self-reported childhood experiences of disengaged parenting (DP) would predict adults' psychological symptoms even more than, on average, childhood sexual, physical, or psychological abuse. In a large (N=640) university sample, bootstrapped multiple regression analyses indicated that although various forms of child maltreatment were correlated with symptomatology at the univariate level, DP was the primary multivariate predictor. Structural equation modeling indicated significant direct paths from (a) DP to both nonsexual child maltreatment and sexual abuse, (b) DP and nonsexual child maltreatment to insecure attachment, and (c) sexual abuse and insecure attachment to symptomatology. There were significant indirect effects of DP on psychological symptoms through sexual and nonsexual abuse, as well as through attachment. These results suggest that although child abuse has direct and indirect impacts on psychological symptoms, exposure to DP may be especially detrimental, both by increasing the risk of child abuse and by virtue of its impacts on attachment insecurity. They also support the potential use of attachment-oriented intervention in the treatment of adults maltreated as children.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- John Briere
- University of Southern California, Department of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences, Psychological Trauma Program, Keck School of Medicine, 2250 Alcazar, Suite 2200, Los Angeles, CA 90089, United States.
| | - Marsha Runtz
- University of Victoria, Department of Psychology, P.O. Box 1700 STN CSC, Victoria, BC, V8W 2Y2, Canada.
| | - Erin Eadie
- Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada.
| | - Noémie Bigras
- University of Quebec at Montreal, Departments of Sexology and Psychology, 455 René Levesque East, Montreal, QC, H2L 4Y2, Canada.
| | - Natacha Godbout
- University of Quebec at Montreal, Departments of Sexology and Psychology, 455 René Levesque East, Montreal, QC, H2L 4Y2, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Parra F, Miljkovitch R, Persiaux G, Morales M, Scherer S. The Multimodal Assessment of Adult Attachment Security: Developing the Biometric Attachment Test. J Med Internet Res 2017; 19:e100. [PMID: 28385683 PMCID: PMC5399225 DOI: 10.2196/jmir.6898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2016] [Revised: 01/27/2017] [Accepted: 03/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Attachment theory has been proven essential for mental health, including psychopathology, development, and interpersonal relationships. Validated psychometric instruments to measure attachment abound but suffer from shortcomings common to traditional psychometrics. Recent developments in multimodal fusion and machine learning pave the way for new automated and objective psychometric instruments for adult attachment that combine psychophysiological, linguistic, and behavioral analyses in the assessment of the construct. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to present a new exposure-based, automatic, and objective adult-attachment assessment, the Biometric Attachment Test (BAT), which exposes participants to a short standardized set of visual and music stimuli, whereas their immediate reactions and verbal responses, captured by several computer sense modalities, are automatically analyzed for scoring and classification. We also aimed to empirically validate two of its assumptions: its capacity to measure attachment security and the viability of using themes as placeholders for rotating stimuli. METHODS A total of 59 French participants from the general population were assessed using the Adult Attachment Questionnaire (AAQ), the Adult Attachment Projective Picture System (AAP), and the Attachment Multiple Model Interview (AMMI) as ground truth for attachment security. They were then exposed to three different BAT stimuli sets, whereas their faces, voices, heart rate (HR), and electrodermal activity (EDA) were recorded. Psychophysiological features, such as skin-conductance response (SCR) and Bayevsky stress index; behavioral features, such as gaze and facial expressions; as well as linguistic and paralinguistic features, were automatically extracted. An exploratory analysis was conducted using correlation matrices to uncover the features that are most associated with attachment security. A confirmatory analysis was conducted by creating a single composite effects index and by testing it for correlations with attachment security. The stability of the theory-consistent features across three different stimuli sets was explored using repeated measures analysis of variances (ANOVAs). RESULTS In total, 46 theory-consistent correlations were found during the exploration (out of 65 total significant correlations). For example, attachment security as measured by the AAP was correlated with positive facial expressions (r=.36, P=.01). AMMI's security with the father was inversely correlated with the low frequency (LF) of HRV (r=-.87, P=.03). Attachment security to partners as measured by the AAQ was inversely correlated with anger facial expression (r=-.43, P=.001). The confirmatory analysis showed that the composite effects index was significantly correlated to security in the AAP (r=.26, P=.05) and the AAQ (r=.30, P=.04) but not in the AMMI. Repeated measures ANOVAs conducted individually on each of the theory-consistent features revealed that only 7 of the 46 (15%) features had significantly different values among responses to three different stimuli sets. CONCLUSIONS We were able to validate two of the instrument's core assumptions: its capacity to measure attachment security and the viability of using themes as placeholders for rotating stimuli. Future validation of other of its dimensions, as well as the ongoing development of its scoring and classification algorithms is discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Federico Parra
- Institute for Creative Technologies, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States.,Paragraphe Laboratory, Paris VIII University, Saint-Denis, France
| | | | | | - Michelle Morales
- Institute for Creative Technologies, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States.,The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY, United States
| | - Stefan Scherer
- Institute for Creative Technologies, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| |
Collapse
|