Examining the Intergenerational Transmission of Attachment Among Foster, Internationally Adoptive, Low-Risk, and High-Risk Families

• In Event: Poster Session 11
  In Poster Session: PS 11 Topic - Parenting & Parent-Child Relationships

Abstract

Children who experience early maltreatment are at an increased risk of forming insecure attachments (van den Dries et al., 2009). Children who are placed in foster care or are adopted after experiencing early adversity often experience stable and nurturing caregiving environments, which can promote the development of secure attachments (Dozier, Zeanah, & Bernard, 2013). Given this shift in caregiving quality, the first aim of this study was to evaluate whether children in foster care and children who have been adopted internationally are more likely to develop secure attachments than children who remained with their biological families after being involved with Child Protective Services (CPS) due to allegations of maltreatment. We also tested whether foster or internationally adopted children’s attachment outcomes differ from low-risk children who did not experience early adversity. 

The second aim of this study was to assess whether the intergenerational transmission of attachment among internationally adoptive and foster families differs from low-risk of CPS-referred parent-child dyads. Specifically, we examined whether parents’ attachment representations were associated with child attachment security and whether this intergenerational association was mediated by observed caregiving quality.

This study included a total of 268 families, including 76 foster care families, 55 families with children adopted internationally, 81 CPS-referred families, and 56 low-risk families. Children’s ages ranged from 10 to 61 months (M = 28 months). Parents’ attachment states of mind were assessed using the Adult Attachment Interview (George, Kaplan, & Main, 1985), and three indices of caregiving quality were assessed during a parent-child interaction task (NICHD Early Child Care Research Network, 1996). Children’s attachment patterns were assessed using the original version of the Strange Situation (Ainsworth et al., 1978) or the Preschool Strange Situation (Main & Cassidy, 1988).

Approximately 60% of children in foster care and 60% of children adopted internationally were classified as securely attached (see Table 1). This was similar to the rate of attachment security among the low-risk children. In addition, foster children, internationally adopted children, and low-risk children were more likely to be securely attached than children whose families were referred to CPS.

The results of the intergenerational transmission analyses indicated that parents with autonomous attachment states of mind provided more sensitive care and exhibited more positive regard than parents with non-autonomous attachment states of mind (see Figure 1). However, neither parents’ attachment state of mind nor the ratings of caregiving behaviors were associated with children’s attachment security. In addition, the associations between parents’ attachment states of mind, caregiving quality, and children’s attachment security did not significantly differ across the four groups of families.

Taken together, these results indicate that internationally adopted and foster children are more likely to form secure attachments than children who remained with their CPS-referred families. In addition parents’ attachment states of mind were associated with their caregiving quality but not children’s attachment security. An important task for future research is to identify the specific features of foster and internationally adoptive families that promote the development of attachment security among these children with histories of early adversity.

Authors

• Bailey Speck, University of Utah
  Presenting Author

• Lee Raby, University of Utah
  Non-Presenting Author

• Heather Yarger, University of Maryland - College Park
  Non-Presenting Author

• Mary Dozier, University of Delaware
  Non-Presenting Author