1. Attachment security in very low birth weight infants
- Author
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Mangelsdorf, Sarah C., McHale, Jean L., Plunkett, James W., Dedrick, Cynthia F., Berlin, Meryl, Meisels, Samuel J., and Dichtellmiller, Margo
- Subjects
Attachment behavior in children -- Research ,Infants (Premature) -- Psychological aspects ,Psychology and mental health - Abstract
Infants of very low birth weight (VLBW) (n = 34) and a comparison group of 40 full-term infants were observed in Ainsworth's Strange Situation at 14 and 19 months and observed in the home at 14 months of age, using Waters's Attachment Q-set. Results indicated that at 14 months VLBW infants were more likely than the full-term infants to be insecurely attached when rated using the Q-set but not when using the Strange Situation. However, at 19 months VLBW infants were also more likely than full-term infants to be insecurely attached in the Strange Situation assessment. There were no associations between the Q-set and Strange Situation measures of attachment security. These results are discussed in terms of the social-emotional development of VLBW infants.
- Published
- 1996