Attachment theorists have argued that securely attached children tend to exhibit flexible attention; the attention of children with resistant attachments is centered on attachment-related worries; children with avoidant attachments defensively focus attention away from attachment-related emotions/thoughts; and children with disorganized attachments exhibit the collapse of attention and disorientation. In this meta-analysis, a relation between attachment security status and attention problems (APs) in children (18 years and younger) was found. In total, 62 studies (67 samples) met the inclusion criteria. Children with insecure attachments were higher in APs than those with a secure attachment (r = 0.21); those with avoidant or resistant attachments were higher than securely attached children (rs = 0.10 and 0.21, respectively); children with disorganized attachments were higher than those with organized attachments (r = 0.27). Effects were larger when attachment and APs were measured concurrently/closer in time (for secure versus all; disorganized versus organized attachment); for representational versus observational measures of attachment, non-parental reports of APs, and attachment assessed at an older age (for disorganized versus organized attachment); for samples with proportionally fewer boys (secure versus resistant attachment); in recent studies (secure versus avoidant attachment); and when disorganized children were in a high-risk sample or resistant children were in a low-risk condition.

依恋理论家认为，安全依恋的孩子倾向于表现出灵活的注意力。具有抗拒依恋感的孩子的注意力集中在依恋相关的担忧上；有回避依恋的孩子在防御上将注意力集中在与依恋相关的情绪/想法上；依恋杂乱无章的孩子表现出注意力和迷失方向的崩溃。在这项荟萃分析中，发现了18岁以下儿童的依恋安全状态与注意力问题（AP）之间的关系。总共有62项研究（67个样本）符合纳入标准。有不安全依恋的孩子的AP比有安全依恋的孩子更高（r  = 0.21）；有回避或抗拒依恋的儿童高于有安全依恋的儿童（rs分别为0.10和0.21）；杂乱无章的依恋儿童高于有组织的依恋的儿童（r  = 0.27）。当同时/更近地测量附着和AP时，效果会更大（对于安全还是所有；无序与有组织的附着）；对于依恋的代表性测量与观察性测量，AP的非父母报告以及年龄较大时评估的依恋（对于杂乱或有组织的依恋）；对于男孩比例成比例减少的样本（安全与抗性附件）；在最近的研究中（安全与避免依恋）；当杂乱无章的儿童处于高风险样本中或抵抗力较强的儿童处于低风险状况时。