The secure base phenomenon was ascribed to changes in exploration observed during Ainsworth's Strange Situation Procedure (SSP), related to the quality of the attachment relationship. However, infant temperament was not taken into consideration. The current study aims to replicate Ainsworth's findings regarding infant exploration and attachment…

The synchronization characteristics of mothers and their 3-year-old children living in large and nuclear family types were examined in a semi-structured play process. Grounded multi-case research was used. The participants of the study consisted of 12 mothers along with their 3-year-old children. Family type (extended and nuclear) and gender of…

A growing evidence base has demonstrated the value of Forest School as an outdoor learning approach which supports a range of benefits including improved physical, social and mental wellbeing, increased confidence and self-esteem and the development of problem-solving skills. However, critics of Forest School have argued that a lack of theoretical…

European quality framework for early childhood education and care calls for creating environments that support all children's sense of belonging. This study aims to advance empirical knowledge on educators' interpretations of children's belonging in early education settings. The study is part of a project conducted in five European countries --…

Maternal input addressed to children after an early hospitalization (EH) was longitudinally compared to maternal input directed to typically developing children (TD), at 6, 9, 12, 18 and 24 months of age. The data were analyzed with the CHILDES tools for (a) word-tokens (b) word-types (c) Mean Length of Utterances (MLU) and (d) questions in which…

This article presents the novel Child Attachment Relationship (CAR) Guide for social workers in child protection and fostering. The Guide was created to promote social workers' understandings of children's attachment relationship and to identify the means through which those understandings might be enhanced towards their practice. The research and…

This study aimed to examine the effect of attachment security in 17-month-olds on their peer play interactions and behavioural problems at ages 4 and 6 years, respectively, in Korea. By employing structural equation modelling, we analyzed the data of 183 children and their mothers, which were extracted from the Panel Study on Korean Children…

Outcomes of studies with exclusively or predominantly female caregivers suggest that boys in child care are involved with interactions, attachment relationships, and care of lower quality than girls. We investigated to what extent child gender (N = 38, 19 boys) and caregiver gender (N = 38, 19 males) is associated with child-caregiver interactions…

Supported Playgroups in Schools (SPinS) are a new initiative in the Australian early childhood education landscape. SPinS are playgroups hosted by a playgroup coordinator co-located on a local school site. Research has identified positive benefits of playgroup participation for children and families. However, little is known about the potential…

Ethnographic methods are used to investigate infant--toddlers relationships in an early childhood setting. The metaphorical and emotionally based concepts of holding [Winnicott, D. W. (1960). "The theory of the parent-infant relationship." "International Journal of Psychoanalysis," 41, 585-595.] and container: contained [Bion,…

The emotional aspects of children's social relations have generally been marginalised in social science discourse. Children, who participated in the Australian segment of the Children's Understandings of Well-being (CUWB) project used various media to 'voice' the importance for their well-being of emotional relatedness with family, friends,…

The study investigated whether 10 minutes of attachment enhancing play delivered daily over 2 weeks could improve adult-child relationships and whether this bettered the way they functioned socially and emotionally. The attachment enhancing play was based on Theraplay® principles and utilized the 4 dimensions of 'Structure, Engagement, Nurture,…

This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of the group play therapy on the insecure attachment and social skills of orphans in Ahvaz city. Statistical population included all orphans in Ahvaz city, of whom 30 students were selected whose scores in insecure attachment and in social skills were one standard deviation higher and one standard…

This study examines the process through which children build a sense of community in small groups in a day care centre. The study asks the following: how does children's sense of community develop, and what are its key features? Data were collected by applying ethnographic methods in a group of three- to five-year-old children over eleven months.…

This paper explores the meaning of childhood within the realms of play and attachment. Are parental attitudes and expectations, with the use of technology and prescriptive toys, limiting development in children today? Children's play in homes in the United Arab Emirates is examined to explore how children in this region play and whether the…