Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded from infants shown sets of familiar faces presented frequently and infrequently, and a set of novel faces presented infrequently, and correlated with infant emotional behavior and cortisol levels. Found that infants scoring higher on the normative ERP factor were more distressed during parent…

Studied behavior of infants with insecure-avoidant attachments who were reunited with their mothers after having been placed in a strange situation away from the mothers. Infants with extensive nonparental care experience displayed more stressful behavior in reunion episodes than did infants with less nonparental care experience. (GLR)

Administered Texas Inventory of Grief to and conducted interviews with 81 widows between the ages of 26 and 82. Compared to younger women, older women showed more intense grief at time of interview and reported more feelings of anxiety and depression. Findings showed that older women did not tolerate or adapt to bereavement more successfully than…

Studied 125 mothers and firstborn sons over 11-month period to examine relations between mothers' representations of their relationships with their children, adult representations of attachment, and observed mothering. Findings revealed significant relationship between mothers' representations of relationships with their children and adult…

Defines affect attunement as a process in which two individuals mutually create, match, and share their affective states. Examines whether adolescents perceive affect attunement in others, and whether this perception is related to gender. Results revealed that adolescents do perceive and discriminate different levels of affect attunement in others…

A study of 117 university employees found that supervisor support and adult attachment orientation (secure, preoccupied, fearful, dismissive) predicted outcomes on three work strain indices. The interaction of supervisor support and attachment orientation significantly predicted intensity of job stress and job satisfaction. (Contains 51…

Thirty-eight mothers completed questionnaires that assessed their attachment to their infant, stress level, and infant's temperament. Mothers were also observed interacting with their infant at six weeks and again at nine months. Found that stressed mothers felt less attached to their infant at six months than nonstressed mothers, and mothers of…

Examined associations between mothers' and trained observers' Attachment Q-Set (AQS) sorts for preschoolers and assessed mother-observer concordance in relation to observers' confidence about how representative the behavior they witnessed was of the domain of AQS items. Found that mothers' and observers' sorts were significantly intercorrelated;…

Discusses the two major theoretical traditions from which the ideas discussed in the Noam (PS 524 984) and the Cicchetti (PS 524 985) articles in this issue are drawn. Describes their divergences from traditional Piagetian and attachment theorists, and the approaches each has taken to common themes in their work. Concludes by setting out…

Study examines attachment organization and dimensions of commitment in 101 females and 30 males with the use of an attachment questionnaire and the Commitment Inventory. Persons in a relationship who endorsed a secure or preoccupied attachment prototype reported stronger personal dedication than those endorsing a fearful-avoidant or…

Parents (N=124) completed surveys assessing their adult attachment style, conflict resolution style, social self-efficacy, and perspective taking. Findings show relationships between secure attachment and mutual forms of conflict resolution. More equivocal support was obtained for pairings of specific nonsecure attachment styles and nonmutual…

Compared physically abused (n=41) and neglected (n=38) children with nonabused, nonneglected children (n=35) aged 6 to 12 years in terms of their attachment styles and their levels of aggression. Findings show that physically abused children are at risk of antisocial behavior and suspicion toward others, and neglected children are at risk of…

Undergraduate students (N = 150) participated in a study developing a 10-item scale (the Noctcaelador Inventory; NI) to measure noctcaelador: adoration and attachment to the night-sky. The NI demonstrated good internal consistency, test-retest reliability, normality, and preliminary validity. The scale significantly correlated with self-reported…

It is believed that by adulthood, independent attachments to the mother and the father coalesce into a single state of mind with respect to attachment. If true, states of mind with respect to mothers and fathers should be concordant. Fifty-six young adults were administered two versions of the Adult Attachment Interview, each of which asked about…

This prospective study examined the effects of maternal characteristics, social support, and risk factors on infant-mother attachment in a heterogeneous sample. Two hundred and six women between the ages of 18 and 40 were interviewed during their last trimester of pregnancy and 1 year postpartum. Structural equation modeling revealed that maternal…