ABSTRACT

Maternal attachment security is an important predictor of caregiving . However, little is known regarding the neurobiological mechanisms by which attachment influences processing of infant cues, a critical component of caregiving. We examined whether attachment security, measured by the Adult Attachment Interview, might relate to neural responses to infant cues using event-related potentials. Secure (n=35) and insecure (n=24) mothers viewed photographs of infant faces and heard recordings of infant vocalizations while electroencephalography was recorded. We examined initial processing of infant faces (N170) and cries (N100), and attentional allocation to infant faces and cries (P300). Secure mothers were significantly faster than insecure mothers to orient to infant cries (N100), structurally encode their own infant’s face (N170), and attend to infant faces (P300). These differences may elucidate mechanisms underlying how attachment may shape neural processing of infant cues and highlight the use ofsocial neuroscientific approaches in examining clinically relevant aspects of attachment.

摘要

母亲依恋安全感是看护的重要预测指标。然而，关于依恋影响婴儿线索处理的神经生物学机制知之甚少，婴儿线索是看护的重要组成部分。我们检查了通过成人依恋访谈测量的依恋安全性是否可能与使用事件相关电位对婴儿线索的神经反应有关。安全（n = 35）和不安全（n=24) 母亲在记录脑电图的同时观看了婴儿面部的照片并听到了婴儿发声的录音。我们检查了婴儿面部 (N170) 和哭声 (N100) 的初始处理，以及对婴儿面部和哭声 (P300) 的注意力分配。有安全感的母亲比没有安全感的母亲明显更快地适应婴儿的哭声 (N100)、对自己婴儿的面部进行结构编码 (N170) 和注意婴儿的面部 (P300)。这些差异可能会阐明依恋如何影响婴儿线索的神经处理的潜在机制，并强调社会神经科学方法在检查临床相关依恋方面的用途。