Attachment theory is based on Bowlby's work on the connections between maternal loss or deprivation and personality development and on Ainsworth's interest in security theory. Their separate and joint work is reviewed, along with that of other theorists and researchers whose work influenced them or was influenced by them. (LB)

Associations between mother's models of attachment and mother and child behaviors related to separation were explored in a study of 45 mothers and their 2- to 4-year-old children. Results showed that mother behaviors before and after separation and child reunion behaviors varied according to attachment classification. (SH)

Examined infants' emotionality, inside and outside of the relationship with the mother, and mothers' responsiveness as predictors of reunion behaviors in the Strange Situation. Found that children's separation distress mediated influence of predictors and itself predicted reunion behaviors. When distress was controlled, some responses generally…

The use of differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO) and fading of time away from year old boy with Separation Anxiety is illustrated. During baseline, the participant exhibited emotional behavior (i.e., crying, whining, asking to contact parents) as soon as his caregiver left the therapy room. During intervention, the participant was…

Some babies have a lot more separation anxiety than others. Between 9 and 16 months, some infants become very upset when separated from their parents. In this article, the author gives advice to caregivers on how to comfort and soothe infants who exhibit separation anxiety.

In this article, a theoretical model of the role of parental intrusiveness in the development of childhood separation anxiety disorder is presented and tested. Parents who act intrusively tend to take over tasks that children are (or could be) performing independently, thereby limiting mastery experiences and inducing dependence on caregivers.…

Patterns of attachment in preschool-age children were investigated in a nonexperimental, naturally occurring stressful situation. The sample included 86 families with at least one child 18 to 54 months of age. In each family, the mother planned to deliver another child in a hospital birthing center. Separation from the mother during admission was…

Used Adult Attachment Interview to examine relationship between mothers' level of security and children's attachment behavior. Found that except for children of preoccupied mothers, children of mothers classified as secure scored higher on the (Attachment Q-Set) AQS-derived security dimension than children whose mothers were classified as insecure…

Explored long-term effects of different childrearing contexts on attachment and separation representations of Israeli 16- to 18-year-olds. Found that adolescents raised in a kibbutz communal setting showed higher incidence of nonautonomous attachment representations and less competent coping with imagined separations than adolescents raised in a…

One symptom of depression is loss of motivation, which can be defined as responsiveness to response-eliciting stimuli and quantified as reward-related behavioral output. Long-term changes in reward-related behavior have been shown to follow early life stress. Most rodent studies investigating the effects of postnatal separation, an early stress,…

This study investigated the role of two dimensions of parental separation anxiety--Anxiety about Adolescent Distancing (AAD) and Comfort with Secure Base Role (CSBR)--and parental maladaptive perfectionism in the prediction of psychologically controlling parenting. In a sample of middle adolescents and their parents (N=677), it was found that…

In his article "The 'Effects' of Infant Day Care Reconsidered," Jay Belsky (see PS 017 108) concludes that maternal employment puts infants at risk for developing emotional insecurity and social maladjustment. After a review of Belsky's and other research, a different conclusion is offered in this paper. It is agreed that infants whose…

A study of 16 children with autism, 16 typical children, and 16 children with Downs syndrome (ages 3-6) investigated children's responses to separation and reunion with their mothers. No differences were found between groups; however, the children with disabilities showed more individual variation in separation and reunion patterns. (Author/CR)

Examined the feelings of mothers when temporarily leaving their infants--who were perceived to cry excessively--to other caretakers. Found through interviews that the mothers were anxious when separated from the infant, had an intensive perception of the infant's crying, and had difficulty sharing responsibility for the infant. (EV)

Examined incidence and intensity of separation anxiety at preschool entry. Found that the majority of 3- and 4-year-olds were rated as having relatively low levels of age-appropriate anxiety and fears. Four-year-olds were rated more fearful than 3-year-olds. Prior separation experience, sex, age, and general anxiety were related to separation…