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Alkærsig M, Elklit A, Løkkegaard SS. Preliminary Danish Norms for the Odense Child Trauma Screening (OCTS). JOURNAL OF CHILD & ADOLESCENT TRAUMA 2024; 17:805-829. [PMID: 39309336 PMCID: PMC11413271 DOI: 10.1007/s40653-024-00616-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 09/25/2024]
Abstract
The Odense Child Trauma Screening (OCTS) is Danish story stem screening tool applicable for assessment of preschoolers and young children in risk of being traumatized. Having shown initial evidence of validation, Danish norms are needed to strengthen the clinical assessment with the OCTS by serving as a baseline comparison for assessment of potentially traumatized children. We tested 169 children from the Danish general population aged 4-8 with the OCTS and investigated sex and age differences in play-based behavior and narrative representations. Caregivers reported electronically on child demographic information, psychosocial functioning, and history of trauma exposure using The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and The Diagnostic Infant and Preschool Assessment (DIPA) trauma list. Across the 145 scores of the OCTS coding scheme, significant sex and age differences were only found in five and sixteen scores respectively. In the five codes where significant sex differences were observed, boys' normative scores were higher. No significant sex differences were found in the partial story scores or the OCTS total score. Three significant age differences in partial story and OCTS total scores emerged with 4-year-olds scoring higher than 6-8-year-olds. We further found 13 significant age differences in code scores with higher scores among the youngest of the two groups in question suggesting that scores tend to decrease along older age. Few significant sex and age differences were found in children's OCTS play-based behavior and narrative representations. Indicative of few sex and age biases of the OCTS coding scheme and stories, results suggest that the OCTS can be applied across the intended target group of children aged 4 to 8 years. As higher scores were found in the younger age groups, clinicians should be attentive to age in certain codes of the OCTS coding scheme in their assessment of children in clinical practice. The preliminary normative scores must be interpreted and clinically applied with caution due to our non-representative sample and lack of analyses on factors potentially influencing children's responses to the OCTS (e.g., developmental, contextual, cultural factors). Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40653-024-00616-7.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mette Alkærsig
- The Danish Center of Psychotraumatology, Department of Psychology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
- The CH:LD Research Group, Department of Psychology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Ask Elklit
- The Danish Center of Psychotraumatology, Department of Psychology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Sille Schandorph Løkkegaard
- The Danish Center of Psychotraumatology, Department of Psychology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
- The CH:LD Research Group, Department of Psychology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
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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.
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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
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Fourment K, Espinoza C, Ribeiro ACL, Mesman J. Latin American Attachment studies: A narrative review. Infant Ment Health J 2022; 43:653-676. [PMID: 35661377 PMCID: PMC9546405 DOI: 10.1002/imhj.21995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Attachment theory´s core hypotheses (universality, normativity, sensitivity, and competence) are assumed to be applicable worldwide. However, the majority of studies on attachment theory have been conducted in Western countries, and the extent to which these core hypotheses are supported by research conducted in Latin America has never been systematically addressed. The purpose of this systematic narrative literature review is to provide an integrative discussion of the current body of empirical studies concerning attachment theory conducted in Latin American countries. For that purpose, a search was conducted in four electronic databases (Web of Science, PsycInfo, SciELO, and Redalyc) and 82 publications on attachment and/or sensitivity met inclusion criteria. None of the studies reported cases in which an attachment relationship was absent, and a predominance of secure attachment patterns was found, mainly for non-risk samples (NRS). Sensitivity levels were generally deemed adequate in NRS, and related to attachment quality. Attachment security and caregivers' sensitivity were positively associated with child outcomes. Attachment-based intervention studies mostly showed efficacy. In conclusion, Latin American research supports the key theoretical assumptions of attachment theory, mainly in samples of urban middle-class NRS. However, the field of attachment-related research would be enriched by also investing in Latin American studies on caregiving rooted in local concepts and theories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Fourment
- Institute of Education and Child StudiesLeiden UniversityLeidenthe Netherlands
- Department of PsychologyPontifical Catholic University of PeruLimaPeru
| | - Camila Espinoza
- Institute of Education and Child StudiesLeiden UniversityLeidenthe Netherlands
| | - Ana Carla Lima Ribeiro
- Graduate School of Social PsychologyUniversityof State of Rio de JaneiroRio de JaneiroBrazil
| | - Judi Mesman
- Institute of Education and Child StudiesLeiden UniversityLeidenthe Netherlands
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Fourment K, Nóblega M, Mesman J. Attachment theory's core hypotheses in rural Andean Peru. Attach Hum Dev 2022; 24:605-623. [PMID: 35389327 DOI: 10.1080/14616734.2022.2060272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
This is the first study aiming to test two universality claims of attachment theory within a rural Andean sample from Cusco, Peru. A total of 69 mothers and their children (6 to 36 months) participated. Child attachment security was assessed with the Attachment Q-set (AQS), maternal sensitivity was measured during three naturalistic episodes (free interaction, bathing, and feeding) with the Ainsworth sensitivity scale and the Maternal Behavior Q-sort (MBQS), and a cumulative maternal risk variable was calculated. Results revealed that most children displayed less characteristic secure base behaviors in the interactions with their mothers, compared to other reference samples. Furthermore, an association between maternal sensitivity and child attachment security was found, and a negative relation between maternal sensitivity and the cumulative risk variable. These results support some of the attachment theory's universality claims, and suggest new avenues for research on assessment issues in rural samples in the Global South.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Fourment
- Institute of Education and Child Studies, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Department of Psychology, Pontifical Catholic University of Peru, Lima, Peru
| | - Magaly Nóblega
- Department of Psychology, Pontifical Catholic University of Peru, Lima, Peru
| | - Judi Mesman
- Institute of Education and Child Studies, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
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Causadias JM, Morris KS, Cárcamo RA, Neville HA, Nóblega M, Salinas-Quiroz F, Silva JR. Attachment research and anti-racism: learning from Black and Brown scholars. Attach Hum Dev 2021; 24:366-372. [PMID: 34503392 DOI: 10.1080/14616734.2021.1976936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Preliminary evidence suggests that people and scholars of African and/or Latin American and Caribbean origin are often under-represented in mainstream attachment scholarship. In this commentary, we highlight the difficulty of conducting attachment theory research outside of the United States, particularly in Latin American countries. We reflect on the contributions by the authors of this special issue . We also identify (a) ways in which to center the experiences of Black and Brown people and scholars to push the field toward antiracism, and (b) the challenges of attachment theory and research in becoming anti-racist by considering the structural nature of racism.
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Affiliation(s)
- José M Causadias
- School of Social and Family Dynamics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Kamryn S Morris
- School of Social and Family Dynamics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Rodrigo A Cárcamo
- Departamento de Psicología, Universidad de Magallanes, Punta Arenas, Chile
| | - Helen A Neville
- Departments of Educational Psychology and African American Studies, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Magaly Nóblega
- Department of Psychology, Pontifical Catholic University of Peru, Lima, Peru
| | - Fernando Salinas-Quiroz
- Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Study and Human Development, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA
| | - Jaime R Silva
- Facultad de Psicología, Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago, Chile.,Clínica Alemana de Santiago, Santiago, Chile
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Waters TEA, Facompré CR, Dagan O, Martin J, Johnson WF, Young ES, Shankman J, Lee Y, Simpson JA, Roisman GI. Convergent validity and stability of secure base script knowledge from young adulthood to midlife. Attach Hum Dev 2020; 23:740-760. [PMID: 33043839 DOI: 10.1080/14616734.2020.1832548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Attachment theory posits that early experiences with caregivers are made portable across development in the form of mental representations of attachment experiences. These representations, the secure base script included, are thought to be stable across time. Here, we present data from two studies. Study 1 (N = 141) examined the degree of empirical convergence between the two major measures of secure base script knowledge in Study 2, we examined stability of secure base script knowledge from late adolescence to midlife combining data from both a high- and normative-risk cohort (N = 113). Study 1 revealed evidence for convergent validity (r = .50) and Study 2 revealed moderate rank-order stability (r = .43), which was not moderated by cohort risk status. Results support the validity of secure base script knowledge assessments and prediction that attachment representations show moderate stability across early adulthood and into midlife.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theodore E A Waters
- Department of Psychology, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Christopher R Facompré
- Department of Psychology, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.,Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Or Dagan
- Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Jodi Martin
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | - Ethan S Young
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | | | - Yoojin Lee
- Department of Psychology, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Jeffry A Simpson
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Glenn I Roisman
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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