Infant Attachment Security Predicts Child Protective Services (CPS)-referred Children’s Emotion Expression with Peers at Age Nine

• In Event: Poster Session 06
  In Poster Session: PS 06 Topic - Parenting & Parent-Child Relationships

Abstract

Attachment theory posits that early positive caregiving experiences help children develop the social skills and emotion regulation abilities that are necessary for successful interactions with peers (Sroufe et al., 2005). Existing literature supports links between insecure attachment in infancy and emotion expression with peers (Sroufe et al., 1984). However, to the best of our knowledge, no study assesses both attachment in infancy and middle childhood as a predictor of peer relations and assesses peer relations observationally using playgroups with a high-risk sample. The primary goal of the current study was to examine attachment during infancy and middle childhood as a predictor of emotion expression during dyadic interactions among a sample of Child Protective Services (CPS)-referred children at age nine.

Participants included 83 children. Attachment was assessed using the Strange Situation in infancy, with 47 children classified as secure and 36 children classified as insecure (k = .79). The Kerns Security Scale (Kerns et al., 1996) assessed attachment in middle childhood (M = 3.34, SD = .46, α = .79) when children were approximately 9 years old (Mage = 9.45, SD = .35). Also at age 9, children participated in playgroups with three to four same-sex, unfamiliar peers. Dyadic interactions took place using a round robin format in which each child interacted with each of three possible partners in turn. Four primary emotions were coded: Happiness, sadness, anger, and anxiety. “Neutral” was a fifth category. For each emotion, individual difference variables were created for the frustration tasks and the positive collaboration tasks. Specifically, a variable was created that represented the average percentage of time a child expressed a particular emotion across partners. Table 1 presents descriptive statistics for the emotion expression variables.

ANOVAs, which controlled for gender, age, and cumulative risk, examined whether attachment in infancy predicted emotion expression with peers at age nine (Table 2). Children with insecure attachments in infancy demonstrated happiness for significantly more time and neutral affect for significantly less time during the collaboration tasks than children with secure attachments. These significant differences held even when controlling for attachment in middle childhood. No significant differences for emotion expression emerged during the frustration tasks. Additionally, Kerns Security Scale ratings were unrelated to emotion expression during the frustration and positive collaboration tasks.

Previous studies have reported that children with secure attachments demonstrate more positive affect with peers than children with insecure attachments, so these emotion expression findings are surprising. However, Pearson correlations indicate that children tended to be more emotional in the playgroups (i.e., high levels of positive and negative emotions) or more regulated (i.e., high levels of neutral affect). It is possible that expressing happiness during the frustration tasks or becoming too excited during the collaboration tasks might be perceived as an odd reaction by peers. Thus, the most socially competent children were those who stayed calm and demonstrated neutral affect, regardless of the setting. The present study highlights the importance of including observational assessments of peer relations across multiple contexts and intervening early to promote attachment relationships.

Authors

• Lindsay Zajac, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
  Presenting Author

• Christina Moore, University of Delaware
  Non-Presenting Author

• Megan Bookhout, University of Richmond
  Non-Presenting Author

• Elizabeth Marano, The College of William and Mary
  Non-Presenting Author

• Julie Ann Hubbard, University of Delaware
  Non-Presenting Author

• Mary Dozier, University of Delaware
  Non-Presenting Author