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Although numerous individual studies have attempted to link child-parent attachment and prosociality, a systematic picture of that relationship requires a meta-analytic approach that considers different dimensions of prosociality and potential moderators. The current meta-analysis examined 41 studies drawn primarily from North America and Europe and published between 1978 to 2020. Child age ranged from 12 to 53 months at the assessment of child-parent attachment and 12 to 108 months at the assessment of prosociality. Across 35 studies (100 effect sizes, N = 4,611), child-mother attachment security and child prosociality were significantly associated (r = 0.19, 95% CI [0.14, 0.23]). No moderators were identified. Exploratory estimates were also derived for subtypes of child-mother attachment insecurity. Across six studies (eight effect sizes, N = 402), child-father attachment security was significantly associated with prosociality (r = 0.11, 95% CI [0.02, 0.23]). The magnitude of effect sizes did not differ based on parent gender. The discussion considers areas of growth for attachment and prosociality research.

Past meta-analyses show that both child-mother and child-father attachment insecurity are independently and jointly associated with more externalizing behaviors in children. Little is known, however, on the ways that different types of insecure attachment independently and jointly predict the development of externalizing behaviors over time. Existing work also neglects the impact of children's gender within the context of child-father relationships. The current study addresses these limitations by investigating how insecure type of child-father attachment, child-mother attachment, and their interaction in the preschool years predict boys' and girls' externalizing behaviors in middle childhood, when controlling for children's externalizing behaviors in the preschool years. The sample included 144 preschool-aged children (M = 46.89 months, SD = 8.77, 83 girls) and both of their parents. At Time 1, children completed independent separation-reunion procedures with each parent, which were coded using the "Preschool Attachment Rating Scales." At Time 1 and Time 2 (5 years later), mothers and fathers completed the "Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire" to report on their children's externalizing behaviors. Results showed no systematic differences in the way that child-mother and child-father attachment predicted the development of externalizing behaviors in boys and girls. Across all children, results identified an interaction of child-father and child-mother ambivalence, by which the presence of ambivalence toward both parents predicted the development of more externalizing behaviors. In addition, child-father controlling-caregiving attachment predicted the development of fewer externalizing behaviors. These results provide insight into the ways that insecure child-father and child-mother attachment predict later socioemotional adaptation.

This meta-analytic study examined the associations between child-father attachment in early childhood and children's externalizing and internalizing behavior problems. Based on 15 samples (N = 1,304 dyads), the association between child-father attachment insecurity and externalizing behaviors was significant and moderate in magnitude (r = 0.18, 95% CI: 0.10, 0.27 or d = 0.37, 95% CI: 0.20, 0.55). No moderators of this association were identified. Based on 12 samples (N = 1,073), the association between child-father attachment insecurity and internalizing behaviors was also significant, albeit smaller in magnitude (r = 0.09, 95% CI: 0.02, 0.15; or d = 0.17, 95% CI: 0.03, 0.31). Between-study heterogeneity was insufficient to consider moderators. When compared to the effect sizes of prior meta-analyses on child-mother attachment and behavior problems, the quality of the attachment relationship with fathers yields a similar magnitude of associations to children's externalizing and internalizing behaviors. Results support the need to consider the role of the attachment network, which notably includes attachment relationships to both fathers and mothers, to understand how attachment relationships contribute to child development.

Mary Main’s operationalization of infant attachment disorganization contributed to our understanding of attachment and psychopathology. Her exploration of attachment patterns at age 6 with Jude Cassidy laid the foundations for studying attachment post-infancy. They found remarkable correspondence from age 1 to age 6 in the disorganization spectrum and documented the emergence of role-reversal. This study proposes a person-centered approach to explore classes of children with respect to attachment disorganization at four time points between infancy and late preschool. Participants (n = 205) were recruited in the UK and formed a socioeconomically diverse community sample of mother–child dyads. We identified three classes of children: 1) a stable organized group; 2) an unstable group becoming organized; and 3) an unstable group becoming disorganized. Results show that major loss predicts membership of the third class of children. These findings contribute to our understanding of disorganization across multiple periods, and thus to Mary Main’s legacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sensitive caregiving behavior, which involves the ability to notice, interpret, and quickly respond to a child's signals of need and/or interest, is a central determinant of secure child–caregiver attachment. Yet, significant heterogeneity in effect sizes exists across the literature, and sources of heterogeneity have yet to be explained. For all child–caregiver dyads, there was a significant and positive pooled association between caregiver sensitivity and parent–child attachment (r =.25, 95% CI [.22,.28], k = 174, 230 effect sizes, N = 22,914). We also found a positive association between maternal sensitivity and child attachment security (r =.26, 95% CI [.22,.29], k = 159, 202 effect sizes, N = 21,483), which was equivalent in magnitude to paternal sensitivity and child attachment security (r =.21, 95% CI [.14, 27], k = 22, 23 effect sizes, N = 1,626). Maternal sensitivity was also negatively associated with all three classifications of insecure attachment (avoidant: k = 43, r = −.24 [−.34, −.13]; resistant: k = 43, r = −.12 [−.19, −.06]; disorganized: k = 24, r = −.19 [−.27, −.11]). For maternal sensitivity, associations were larger in studies that used the Attachment Q-Sort (vs. the Strange Situation), used the Maternal Behavior Q-Sort (vs. Ainsworth or Emotional Availability Scales), had strong (vs. poor) interrater measurement reliability, had a longer observation of sensitivity, and had less time elapse between assessments. For paternal sensitivity, associations were larger in older (vs. younger) fathers and children. These findings confirm the importance of both maternal and paternal sensitivity for the development of child attachment security and add understanding of the methodological and substantive factors that allow this effect to be observed. Public Significance Statement: The quality of care children receive from caregivers can shape the foundations of a thriving society. Sensitive caregiver behavior involves the ability to notice, interpret, and quickly respond to a child's signals of need and/or interest. Findings from our research suggests that caregivers' sensitive behavior toward their child plays a pivotal role in fostering children's secure attachment. We found that associations were similar for both mothers and fathers. These findings stress the urgency of allocating resources and supports to enhance sensitive caregiver behavior, to in turn promote healthier child–parent relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two meta-analyses were conducted (N = 10,980 child-father dyads) with 93 studies published between 1983-2020, primarily in North America and Europe, on observed parental sensitivity to children (3-180 months; 48% girls; 14% non-White) in partnered mothers and fathers. The first meta-analysis found higher maternal mean levels of observed sensitivity, with a small effect size (d = -.27). Differences between parents were larger with micro coding and triadic/family assessments. Differences narrowed as a function of publication year and were not significant in European samples. The second meta-analysis identified a moderate correlation between observed maternal and paternal sensitivity (r = .23 after adjusting for probable publication bias). Correlations were larger in Middle Eastern samples and with composite sensitivity scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growing evidence points to the theoretical and statistical advantages of continuous (rather than categorical) assessments of child-caregiver attachment. The Preschool Attachment Rating Scales (PARS) is a continuous coding system to assess preschool attachment that is complementary to the categorical MacArthur Preschool Attachment Coding System (PACS). The current study aims to evaluate the reliability and validity of the PARS to measure both child-mother and child-father attachment during the preschool period. Participants included 144 preschool-aged children (M = 46.89 months, SD = 8.77; 83 girls) and their parents. Results support the reliability and validity of the PARS: good inter-rater reliability, expected associations between scales, convergence with the PACS, and association with parental sensitivity and child externalizing problems. These findings support the application of continuous assessments of child-caregiver attachment in the preschool years. They also align with previous work on child-mother attachment, and present avenues for future research on child-father attachment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]