State-Attachment Variations Across Stressful Situations are Linked to Psychological Problems Above and Beyond Trait-Attachment

• In Event: 3-234 - Attachment and Psychopathology across the Life Span: Key Findings, Issues, and Future Directions

Integrative Statement

Insecure attachment, of which the hallmark is a lack of trust that caregivers will support one during distress, has shown to be linked to multiple domains of psychological problems in children (Fearon et al., 2010; Groh et al., 2012). Explanations for these associations have typically referred to insecure attachment as a relatively stable, trait-like aspect of children’s personality, that affects their vulnerability to psychological problems. However, effects sizes for the associations between insecure attachment and psychological problems are modest in size (Fearon et al., 2016). The lack of evidence for strong associations between insecure attachment and psychological problems in childhood has led to the formulation of a novel, more dynamic model of attachment insecurity (Kobak & Bosmans, 2018). This model proposes that state-attachment variation across stressful situations, reflecting the extent to which children’s expectations of caregiving support changes in response to various day-to-day situations, may a have a unique role in predicting children’s psychological problems, over and above attachment traits.

To test the hypothesis that state-attachment variation across stressful situations is linked to psychological problems above and beyond trait attachment, 149 children (52 boys; M = 10.91; SD = 1.01) were assessed for attachment psychological problems. Trait-attachment was assessed with self-report questionnaires (attachment Anxiety/Avoidance via the Experiences in Close Relationships questionnaire [Brennan et al., 1998]; attachment to parents and peers via the People in My Life Questionnaire [Ridenour et al., 2006]), and a prompt word test (Attachment Script Assessment; Waters et al., 1998) evaluating children’s generalized expectations regarding the sequence of events following distress. State-attachment variation was assessed via children’s rating of their trust in maternal support in eight equally distressing situations. Simultaneous component analysis with invariant pattern (Timmerman & Kiers, 2003), assessing the common underlying structure of within-individual variation of state-attachment across situations, revealed two orthogonal state-variability components: (a) Identification and Support component, reflecting the extent to which children expect maternal recognition of their distress and maternal support; and (b) Back-on-Track component, reflecting the extent to which children expect situational distress to be resolved and no longer affect their functioning. Lastly, children’s mother-reported psychological problems were assessed with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (Goodman et al., 1998).

Multiple regression analysis revealed that state-attachment components across stressful situations, but not trait attachment variables, are uniquely linked to children’s mothers-reported psychological problems. Specifically, variably on the Identification and Support component across stressful situations was negatively linked to psychological problems (β = -.28, p < .01), suggesting that higher between-situation variability in children’s expectation of maternal identification with their distress and maternal support predicted less psychological problems. Furthermore, variability on the Back-on-Track component across situations positively predicted psychological problems (β = .30, p < .01), suggesting that instability in the extent to which children expect to resume normal functioning following distress predicted more psychological problems.

Overall, results suggest that theory and research regarding the role of attachment in the development of psychopathology may benefit from integrating a more dynamic model of insecurity that accounts for individuals’ variability in state-attachment across stressful situations.

Authors

• Guy Bosmans, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
  Presenting Author

• Martine Verhees, KU Leuven
  Non-Presenting Author

• Eva Ceulemans, KU Leuven
  Non-Presenting Author