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Investigating Direct and Indirect Effects of Attachment on Internalizing and Externalizing Problems through Emotion Regulation in a Cross-Sectional Study

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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between attachment, emotion regulation (ER), and risk for internalizing/externalizing problems in typically developing children. To this end, a mediation model was proposed in which attachment security was hypothesized to exert an indirect effect on internalizing/externalizing problems through ER. A sample of 212 preschoolers aged between 3 and 5 years old was included in the study. Children’s attachment representations were assessed using the Attachment Story Completion Task (ASCT); a story-stem task was also employed to evaluate children’s ability to generate ER strategies in response to anger, sadness, and fear eliciting vignettes. Parents and teachers evaluated risk for emotional and behavioral problems using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), and the Caregiver-Teacher Report Form (C-TRF), respectively. The results showed that effective ER strategies mediated the relationship between attachment security and internalizing problems, but not externalizing problems. Furthermore, when effective ER strategies were differentiated, attachment security had a significant indirect effect on internalizing problems through problem-solving, but not on externalizing problems. Comforting was associated with increased attachment security, but not with ratings of internalizing/externalizing problems. Distraction was not associated with attachment security, and hence, exhibited only direct effects on reducing levels of internalizing and externalizing problems These findings suggested that in typically developing children distraction and problem-solving strategies might act as protective factors against mental health problems, but only problem-solving seems to be associated with children’s perception about attachment when measured on a continuum from insecure to secure attachment.

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Author Contributions

C.A.Ş: designed and executed the study, performed the data analyses, and wrote the manuscript. J.A.: collaborated on the design, the study’s execution, and the editing of the final manuscript.

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  1. Department of Psychology, Babeş-Bolyai University, 37 Republicii Street,, Cluj-Napoca, 400015, Romania

    Catrinel A. Ştefan & Julia Avram

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Ştefan, C.A., Avram, J. Investigating Direct and Indirect Effects of Attachment on Internalizing and Externalizing Problems through Emotion Regulation in a Cross-Sectional Study. J Child Fam Stud 26, 2311–2323 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-017-0723-7

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