In this commentary, Buchheim states that she recognizes that infant-parent relationship has been shown to be of particular significance to preterm infants' socioemotional development, and that preterm children have been reported to be at higher risk of developing attachment insecurity and disorganized attachment. In the feature paper on attachment…

In this commentary, Suess opines that comparing risk- and non-risk-groups, as is done in the study by Witting, Ruiz, and Ahnert (2016), is a favored approach in developmental psychopathology in order to learn more about underlying mechanisms of normal development, as well as developmental deviations. Witting and colleagues followed up this…

In this commentary, Spangler evaluates the Steele, Perez, Segal, and Steele report that arguede that reflective functioning in adolescence could not be predicted by quality of early infant attachment, but was associated with maternal (but not paternal) attachment representation, assessed before the adolescents' birth. Assuming that parental…

In this commentary, Soares and Baptista state that the Steele, Perez, Segal, and Steele (2016) article contributed with an informative study that adolescents' reflective functioning (RF) is predicted by maternal attachment representation, which was assessed even before the youth were born by using the Adult Attachment Interview. The authors assert…

According to these authors, it is correct to assume that mental health professionals, including psychologists, may not have adequate literature that provides an evidence-informed basis for making decisions about a parent's contact with a child whom he/she has sexually molested. Indeed, there are several sources of information that may negatively…

This paper, supporting father involvement in pregnancy, birth, and infant care, recommends that the father 1) acknowledge and accept the emotional impact of pregnancy and share this with his mate, and 2) mentally visualize himself in childbearing and childrearing roles. It suggests that multiple benefits accrue to all involved when the father…

Presents meta-analysis evidence of the association between paternal sensitivity and infant-father attachment from eight studies with 546 families (combined effect size r = 0.13). A meta-analysis of 950 families from 14 studies found an overall correlation of 0.17 between infant-mother and infant-father attachment. Presents a data-based model of…

Defends attachment theory and its relation to parental investment. Misunderstandings of the rationale for Parental Investment in the Child Questionnaire (PIC) and the measurement of attitudes in Sharon Hays's article are discussed. Parental and cultural issues are discussed with particular attention to data on fathers and applicability across…

The author provides parents with information and suggestions about ways to alleviate strains placed on the natural attachment (bonding) process when their child has a hearing impairment. Strategies to foster the child's communicative and behavioral development are presented and the roles of parental responsivity, letting go, and fathers are…

Illustrates the important role that fathers play in their infants' social and emotional development. Notes that not only are infants more socially responsive when they are securely attached to both mother and father but such a secure attachment to the father can help to prevent harmful consequences of insecure attachments. (HTH)

Parent/infant bonding is discussed in this study review. Bonding is defined prior to a discussion of research that places the concept in historical perspective. The discussion of research since 1950 focuses on Bowlby, Klaus and Kennell, Helfer, Mahler and Rheingold, and Brazelton. Attention is given to the capacities of the newborn, child abuse,…

Provides an evolutionary account of the human affectional system. Warmth is conceptualized as a reward system which evolved to facilitate cohesive family relationships and paternal investment in children. Warmth must be distinguished from security of attachment. Relationships based on warmth can coexist with relationships based on exploitation.…

Argues that although meta-analysis makes an important contribution to summarizing attachment studies, it limits the conceptual understanding to simple causal models and ignores family systems models that could illuminate the development of secure and insecure attachment. Maintains that fathers' role in attachment and the impact of the quality of…

The process by which parents become attached to their infants was the focus of a roundtable discussion. Participating were students of the attachment process in various animal species, as well as clinicians and researchers, from various disciplines, engaged in studying the development of attachment in parents of normal infants, parents of…

This discussion examines trends in American society and family life in the context of early education and alternative child care programs of the future. It is suggested that social problems arise when some aspects of society change while other intimately related aspects lag behind, especially when the lagging circumstances are improving but not…