ABSTRACT

This study investigated the associations between incarcerated mothers’ sensitivity and their co-residing children’s attachment security. Furthermore, the moderating role of children’s temperament on the associations between maternal sensitivity and children’s attachment security was examined. The study sample consisted of 84 incarcerated mothers (M_age = 29.9, SD = 5.6) and their 12- to 43-month-old (M = 25.3, SD = 8.3) children who co-resided with them in prison facilities. Maternal sensitivity and child’s attachment were assessed by observation of mother-child interaction using the Maternal Sensitivity Scale and the Turkish Toddler Attachment Sort-60, respectively. Mothers reported their children’s temperamental features (i.e. negative emotionality and effortful control) using the Early Childhood Behavior Questionnaire. Results showed that maternal sensitivity was related positively to children’s secure attachment and negatively to children’s disorganized attachment. Furthermore, children’s negative emotionality and effortful control moderated the associations between maternal sensitivity and children’s attachment. Specifically, maternal sensitivity negatively predicted children’s avoidant attachment only for children with low negative emotionality and with high effortful control. Additionally, maternal sensitivity negatively predicted children’s anxious attachment only for children with low effortful control. Results are discussed in terms of sample-specific experiences, contextual factors, and the differential susceptibility hypothesis.

摘要

本研究调查了被监禁母亲的敏感性与其同居儿童的依恋安全性之间的关联。此外，还研究了儿童气质对母亲敏感性和儿童依恋安全之间关联的调节作用。研究样本由 84 名被监禁的母亲（M_年龄 = 29.9，SD  = 5.6）及其 12 至 43 个月大（M  = 25.3，SD = 8.3) 与他们共同居住在监狱设施中的儿童。母亲敏感性和孩子的依恋是通过分别使用母亲敏感性量表和土耳其幼儿依恋排序 60 观察母子互动来评估的。母亲使用幼儿行为问卷报告了他们孩子的气质特征（即消极情绪和努力控制）。结果表明，母亲的敏感性与儿童的安全依恋呈正相关，与儿童的无组织依恋呈负相关。此外，儿童的消极情绪和努力控制调节了母亲敏感性和儿童依恋之间的关联。具体来说，母亲敏感性仅对低消极情绪和高努力控制的儿童负向预测儿童的回避依恋。此外，母亲的敏感性仅对努力控制能力低的儿童负向预测儿童的焦虑依恋。结果根据样本特定的经验、背景因素和差异易感性假设进行了讨论。