A study of 80 adolescent females found that attachment style mediates the effects of child sexual abuse (CSA) and child abuse and neglect on coping and psychological distress. The indirect effects of CSA and other abuse through attachment accounted for most of the effects on coping and psychological distress. (Author/CR)

Clarifies key concepts and assumptions of attachment theory, emphasizing the importance of adult attachment relationships in counseling supervision. Case examples are presented of supervisee behaviors and subsequent supervision strategies used during semester long practicum. The case examples illustrate how the application of theoretical…

Studied identity development and attachment to parents in a sample of 100 first-year college students. Self-report data suggest that females had higher levels of exploration and commitment than male students. Identity development in females was related to attachment to mothers; in males, identity development was not related to attachment to either…

The workgroup and the organization as a whole are common foci of employee attachment (i.e., identification and commitment). This study reviews theorizing and empirical research on the relative impact of attachment to these foci on work attitudes and behavior. Confirming predictions derived from a wide range of previous models, a meta-analysis…

Contributions of 3 dimensions of parenting (psychological control, warmth, and behavioural control), marital conflict, and attachment style (anxiety and avoidance) to adjustment from early to middle adolescence were assessed. Mediation of marital conflict effects by parenting, and of parenting effects by attachment were examined. Adolescents (n =…

This study examined maladaptive perfectionism (concern over mistakes, doubts about one's ability to accomplish tasks, and failure to meet high standards) as both a mediator and a moderator between adult attachment (anxiety and avoidance) and depressive mood (depression and hopelessness). Survey data were collected from 310 undergraduates and…

The reliability and validity of the Attachment Q Sort (AQS; Waters & Deane, 1985) was tested in a series of meta-analyses on 139 studies with 13,835 children. The observer AQS security score showed convergent validity with Strange Situation procedure (SSP) security (r=31) and excellent predictive validity with sensitivity measures (r=39). Its…

Attachment Q-Sort (AQS) is a tool for quantifying observations about toddler/caregiver relationships. Previous studies have applied factor analysis to the full 90 AQS item set to explore the structure underlying them. Here we explore that structure by applying multidimensional scaling (MDS) to judgements of inter-item similarity. AQS items are…

This chapter argues for the essential role of culture in forming the basic constructs and theories of developmental psychology. The case is made for the need to overcome the cultural insularity of core developmental concepts and methods in order to create a psychology that is more truly universal.

Two studies addressed the implications of concordance versus discrepancy of attachment representations in individuals at 2 stages in their marital relationships. Engaged (n = 157) and dating (n = 101) couples participated in a multimethod 6-year longitudinal study of adult attachment. Individuals completed the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI), the…

The Oklahoma City bombing in April 1995 was an act of terrorism that had many potential influences on the city and state, including influences on families. We analyzed divorce data from 1985 to 2000 for all 77 counties in Oklahoma to assess the divorce response to the Oklahoma City bombing. Our prediction was that divorce rates in Oklahoma would…

The author reviews the main points in Freud's 1917 paper "Mourning and Melancholia" and relates them to the process of both normal and troubled adolescent development. Using clinical examples she illustrates the ways in which the processes Freud describes in melancholia operate in some disturbed adolescents such that instead of mourning the lost…

Attachment theory proposes that experiences with the primary caregivers are an important basis for the development of close social relationships outside the parent-child relationship. This study examined the association between representations of attachment, as assessed with the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI), representations of friendship and…

Objective: To determine if Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) can be reliably identified in maltreated toddlers in foster care, if the two types of RAD are independent, and to estimate the prevalence of RAD in these maltreated toddlers. Methods: Clinicians treating 94 maltreated toddlers in foster care were interviewed regarding signs of…

This parameter reviews the current status of reactive attachment disorder with regard to assessment and treatment. Attachment is a central component of social and emotional development in early childhood, and disordered attachment is defined by specific patterns of abnormal social behavior in the context of "pathogenic care." Clinically relevant…