ASA Insecurity Scales: Stability Over Time and Predictive Significance for Mothers’ Caregiving Behaviors

• In Event: Assessing Patterns of Insecurity in the Attachment Script Assessment: Evidence for Convergent and Predictive Validity

Abstract

Central to attachment theory is the prediction that: (1) attachment representations are stable over time, and (2) attachment variation plays an important role in subsequent interpersonal functioning, including within parent-child relationships. Consistent with these expectations, adult attachment representations as assessed via the AAI exhibit modest-strong stability (r=.20-.61; see Pinquart et al., 2013). Moreover, secure-autonomous (vs. insecure) attachment representations in the AAI are associated with higher levels of maternal sensitivity (Verhage et al., 2016), and specific patterns of insecure attachment are differentially associated with specific patterns of negative caregiving behaviors. Specifically, insecure-dismissing attachment is associated with detached, uninvolved caregiving; whereas insecure-preoccupied attachment is associated with intrusive, controlling caregiving (Adam et al., 2003; Whipple et al., 2011). In light of such evidence, in the current study we sought to validate the ASA insecurity scales by: (1) examining the stability of ASA insecurity scales over a 2-year period; and (2) examining the predictive significance of ASA scales for mothers’ caregiving behavior.

The sample comprised 142 mothers of 6-month-old infants who were followed up when children were 2.5-years-old. Mothers’ completed the ASA at both time points. At 6 months, mothers’ caregiving behaviors (sensitivity—prompt appropriate responding, intrusiveness—imposing mother agenda on child/controlling behavior, and detachment—lack of emotional engagement) were observed. To date, a sub-sample of 51 ASAs have been coded at each time point; coding of the full sample (N = 142 at 6 months; N = 62 at 2.5 years) will be complete by March 2021.

As expected, ASA scales demonstrated significant stability over the course of 2 years (see Table 1). Specifically, ASA hyperactivation and anomalous themes exhibited strong stability (r’s=.49-.52), suggesting that the extent to which individuals heighten the expression of negative emotion and include bizarre details in the context of attachment-relevant narratives is strongly stable over time. ASA secure base script knowledge (SBSK) and deactivation exhibited moderate stability (r’s=.25-.34). Such evidence suggests that although access and awareness of a secure base script (i.e., SBSK) and restricted articulation of attachment needs and emotions (i.e., deactivation) are significantly stable over time, these patterns of variation may be more open to revision over the first years postpartum. During this time, mothers are establishing attachment relationships with their own offspring, which might offer a context in which to update attachment representations.

Regarding caregiving behaviors, although ASA scales were not significantly associated with maternal sensitivity, ASA hyperactivation and deactivation were differentially associated with specific caregiving behaviors. As expected, higher levels of ASA hyperactivation were significantly associated with more intrusiveness, whereas ASA deactivation was significantly associated with more detached and less intrusive caregiving (see Table 2). ASA anomalous themes were not significantly associated with the caregiving dimensions examined. However, such attachment variation is typically associated with specific forms of atypical caregiving (e.g., dissociation, maltreatment; Madigan et al., 2006), signaling the need for further research on at-risk samples. Taken together, findings support the predictive validity of ASA hyperactivation and deactiviation for mothers’ caregiving behavior, providing evidence for differential links with intrusiveness and detachment, respectively.

Authors

• Ashley M. Groh, University of Missouri - Columbia
  Presenting Author

• Katherine C Haydon, Mount Holyoke College
  Non-Presenting Author