Abstract
This study examined the associations between mothers’ attachment style and their information processing of hypothetical stressful situations involving their children. 219 mothers of preschool-aged and kindergarten-aged children completed an online survey. Mothers were given five vignettes describing hypothetical stressful situations involving their children. They reported the extent to which they expected their children would be distressed; they also reported the extent to which they themselves would cope effectively, would experience varied negative emotions, and would show emotionally focused, distancing, or child-supportive responses. Mothers were then given the Experience in Close Relationships–Revised questionnaire to assess their attachment style. Mothers’ higher avoidant attachment was associated with expectations of less effective coping, increased distancing responses and decreased emotionally focused and child-supportive responses. Less effective coping mediated the link between higher avoidant attachment and decreased support of the children. Mothers’ higher anxious attachment was associated with expectations of increased children’s distress and their own less effective coping, increased negative emotions, and increased distancing and emotionally focused responses. Negative emotions mediated the link between higher anxious attachment and increased emotionally focused responses. Thus, mothers’ information processing of stressful situations involving their children may be colored by their adult attachment experiences.
Highlights
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Mothers’ attachment style was associated with their information processing of hypothetical stressful situations involving their child.
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Expectations of less effective coping mediated the link between avoidant attachment and decreased likelihood of child-supportive responses.
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Expectations of increased negative emotions mediated the association of anxious attachment with increased likelihood of emotionally focused responses.
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Author Contributions
E.S.-C. took part in designing the study, conducted the data analyses, and wrote the manuscript. N.G.-Y. took part in designing the study, conducting the data analyses, and writing the manuscript. H.S. and N.H.-Z. collaborated on study design, developed the SCS measure, and collected the data.
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All procedures performed in this study were approved by the Human Research Review Board of the participating university (#044-15) and were in accordance with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.
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Appendix: Stressful Child Situations (Shiff et al. 2015)
Appendix: Stressful Child Situations (Shiff et al. 2015)
Below are five scenarios that characterize daily situations in children’s lives. Please imagine that the scenario has happened to your child and answer the following questions. If you have more than one child, please refer to the child who is in the preschool–kindergarten age range. If you have more than one child in that age range, please consistently refer to the same child throughout the questionnaire.
In the middle of the school year, your child’s teacher announces that she has decided to quit her job and move to another city.
You have scheduled to go out and meet your friends in a restaurant. One of your friends calls you to say she is waiting for you outside, so the two of you can go together to the restaurant. Your child’s babysitter has already arrived at your home. You say goodbye to your child, and after you leave the house, you hear your child start to cry.
While walking with your child to school in the morning you witness a minor car accident. Although the accident is not severe, it makes a noise and there is a hustle around the area.
During school, your child’s teacher calls to say that your child fell from one of playground facilities in the school yard and has bruised his/her knee.
You spend the afternoon with your child at home. Your child approaches you alarmed and tells you that his hamster is not moving in his cage. You approach the cage and see the hamster is not breathing.
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Sher-Censor, E., Gur-Yaish, N., Shiff, H. et al. Mothers’ Attachment Style and Information Processing of Stressful Situations Involving Their Children. J Child Fam Stud 29, 3059–3070 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-020-01802-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-020-01802-5