Abstract
Parental attitudes and perceptions toward children's use of transitional object among 75 sets of parents were examined. Overall, parents appear to understand the significance and importance of children's attachment to transitional objects, thus providing consistency in childrearing. Parental differences emerged in the following areas: situations when children want their transitional object, age children should give up transitional object use, and age parents gave up their own transitional object. Some racial and socioeconomic differences were found, however these differences must be viewed within the context of a broader cultural perspective. The study suggests that parents are perceptive and, for the most part, respectful of the significance of transitional objects in the lives of children.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Winnicott D: Transitional objects and transitional phenomena.Int J Psychoanal 34:89–97, 1953.
Busch F: Dimensions of the first transitional object.Psychoanal Study Child 29:215–229, 1974.
3.Litt C: Children's attachment to transitional objects: A study of two pediatric populations.Am J Orthopsych 51:131–138, 1981.
Newson J, Newson E, Mahalski P: Persistent infant comfort habits and their sequelae at 11 and 16 years.J Child Psychol Psychiat 23:421–436, 1982.
Boniface D, Graham P: The three-year-old and his attachment to a special soft object.J Child Psychol Psychiat 20:217–224, 1979.
Gaddini R, Gaddini E: Transitional objects and the process of individuation: A study in three different social groups.J Am Acad Child Psychiat 9:347–365, 1970.
Hong M, Townes, B: Infants' attachment to inanimate objects: A cross-cultural study.J Am Acad Child Psychiat 15:49–61, 1976.
Passman R: Attachments to inanimate objects: Are children who have security blankets insecure?J Consult Clin Psychol 55:825–830, 1987.
Busch F, Nagera H, McKnight J, Pezzarossi G: Primary transitional objects.J Amer Acad Child Psychiat 12:193–214, 1973.
Jonsson C, Reimbladh-Taube G, Sjosward E: Forms, uses, and functions of children's favourite objects.Scand J Psychol 34:886–93, 1993.
Lookabaugh S, Fu V: Children's use of inanimate transitional objects in coping with daily hassles.J Genet Psychol 153:37–47, 1991.
Mahalski P: The incidence of attachment objects and oral habits at bedtime in twolongitudinal samples of children aged 1.5–7 years.J Child Psychol Psychiat 24:293–295, 1983.
Van Ijzendoorn M, Goossens F, Tavecchio L, Vergeer M, Hubbard F: Attachment to soft objects: Its relationship with attachment to the mother and with thumbsucking.Child Psychiat Hum Develpm 14:97–105, 1983.
Bowlby J:Attachment and loss. Vol 1, Attachment. London: Hogarth Press; New York: Basic Books, 1969.
Ekecrantz L, Rudhe L: Transitional phenomena: Frequency, forms, and functions of specially loved objects.Acta Psychiat Scand 48:261–273, 1972.
Passman R, Weisberg P: Mothers and blankets as agents for promoting play and exploration: The effects of social and nonsocial attachment objects.Develop Psychol 11:170–177, 1975.
Halonen J, Passman R: Pacifiers' effects upon play and separations from the mother for the one-year-old in a novel environment.Infant Behav Develop 1:70–78, 1978.
Triebenbacher S, Tegano D: Children's use of transitional objects during daily separations from significant caregivers.Percept Motor Skills 75:1–2, 1992.
Passman R: Arousal reducing properties of attachment objects: Testing the functional limits of the security blanket relative to the mother.Develop Psychol 12:468–469, 1976.
Passman R: Providing attachment objects to facilitate learning and reduce distress: Effects of mothers and security blankets.Develop Psychol 13:25–28, 1977.
Litt C: Theories of transitional object attachment: An overview.Int J Beh Develpm 9:385–399, 1986.
Sherman M, Hertzig M, Austrian R, Shapiro T: Treasured objects in school-age children.Pediatrics 68:379–386.
Newson J, Newson E:Four year olds in an urban community. Chicago, IL: Aldine, 1968.
Garrison W, Earls F: Attachment to a special object at the age of three years: Behavior and temperament characteristics.Child Psychiat Hum Develpm 12:131–141, 1982.
Wolf A, Lozoff B: Object attachment, thumbsucking, and passage to sleep.J Am Acad Child Adol Psychiat 28,2:287–292, 1989.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Triebenbacher, S.L. Children's use of transitional objects: Parental attitudes and perceptions. Child Psych Hum Dev 27, 221–230 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02353351
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02353351