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Abstract According to Bowlby, infants have a universal need to seek close proximity with their caregiver when under distress or threatened. This study seeks to look at attachment in a population that is undergoing extreme distress as they suffer from opioid withdrawal within the first few weeks of life. It aims to explore the role touch (kangaroo care) can have in creating the secure base that attachment theorists describe as the basis for all future attachments, and in reducing the length of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome. It is hypothesized that infants born with drug dependencies who receive increased touch and holding throughout their withdrawal will have a shorter duration of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome and will be more securely attached at 18 months than those who do not receive increased touch. It is also hypothesized that infants whose caregivers reported high scores of bonding with their infants in the first year of life will be more securely attached than those with lower scores of bonding. Infants who were sent home with their birth parents after discharge are hypothesized to be more securely attached at 18 months with their caregiver than infants who were sent home to a foster family. The results of this study will contribute to attachment literature in a population where research is lacking, and will add to the knowledge on Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome treatment.

Aim: To explore how pregnant women experience fetal movements in late pregnancy. Specific aims were:  to study women’s experiences during the time prior to receiving news that their unborn baby had died in utero (I), to investigate women’s descriptions of fetal movements (II), investigate the association between the magnitude of fetal movements and level of prenatal attachment (III), and to study women’s experiences using two different self-assessment methods (IV). Methods: Interviews, questionnaires, and observations were used. Results: Premonition that something had happened to their unborn baby, based on a lack of fetal movements, was experienced by the participants. The overall theme “something is wrong” describes the women’s insight that the baby’s life was threatened (I). Fetal movements that were sorted into the domain “powerful movements” were perceived in late pregnancy by 96 % of the participants (II). Perceiving frequent fetal movements on at least three occasions per 24 hours was associated with higher scores of prenatal attachment in all the three subscales on PAI-R. The majority (55%) of the 456 participants reported average occasions of frequent fetal movements, 26% several occasions and 18% reported few occasions of frequent fetal movements, during the current gestational week.  (III). Only one of the 40 participants did not find at least one method for monitoring fetal movements suitable. Fifteen of the 39 participants reported a preference for the mindfetalness method and five for the count-to-ten method. The women described the observation of the movements as a safe and reassuring moment for communication with their unborn baby (IV). Conclusion:  In full-term and uncomplicated pregnancies, women usually perceive fetal movements as powerful. Furthermore, women in late pregnancy who reported frequent fetal movements on several occasions during a 24-hour period seem to have a high level of prenatal attachment. Women who used self-assessment methods for monitoring fetal movements felt calm and relaxed when observing the movements of their babies. They had a high compliance for both self-assessment methods. Women that had experienced a stillbirth in late pregnancy described that they had a premonition before they were told that their baby had died in utero.

The work presented in this thesis aims at investigating the attachment of lightning flashes to wind turbines. Modern wind turbines are highly exposed to lightning strikes, due to the increase of their height and the rotation of the blades. Upward lightning is the dominant mechanism of lightning strikes to them. Therefore, this study evaluates the initiation of the initial upward leader discharge and the process of lightning attachment of dart leaders taking place prior to the first return stroke in upward flashes. This work extends the self-consistent leader inception and propagation model (SLIM) to evaluate the lightning attachment of dart and dart-stepped leaders to grounded objects. SLIM was originally proposed to evaluate the lightning attachment of stepped leaders. Unlike the well-studied lightning attachment of stepped leaders, upward connecting leaders initiated in response to dart and dart-stepped leaders develop under a significantly faster change of the ambient electric field. Additionally, these connecting leaders could develop in warm air pre-conditioned by the previous strokes in the same flash. An analytical expression to evaluate the charge required to thermalize the connecting leader per unit length is also developed in the extended model. This model is validated through the analysis of three attachment events recorded in rocket-triggered lightning experiments. Good agreement between the predicted properties of the upward leaders and the measurements has been found. The model is utilized to evaluate the different conditions where connecting leaders can develop prior to the return strokes in upward lightning. The extended model of SLIM is also applied to study the interception of lightning dart leaders by upward connecting leaders initiated from wind turbines. The evaluation considers the influence of the return stroke peak current, the blade rotation and wind on the attachment of lightning dart leaders to wind turbines. The probability of lightning strikes to the receptors along the blade and on the nacelle is calculated for upward lightning flashes. It is shown that the lightning attachment of dart leaders is a mechanism that can explain the lightning damages to the inboard region of the blades (more than 10 meters from the tip) and the nacelle of wind turbines. Furthermore, the critical stabilization electric field required to initiate upward lightning from wind turbines is evaluated for both ‘self-initiated’ and ‘other-triggered’ upward flashes. The calculation shows that the stabilization electric field of an operating wind turbine periodically changes due to the rotation of its blades.  The initiation of upward lightning is greatly facilitated by the electric field change produced by nearby lightning events. However, the rate of rise of the electric field only has a weak impact on the stabilization electric field. The evaluation of the stabilization electric field provides essential information needed for the estimation of the incidence of upward lightning to wind turbines. / <p>QC 20161201</p>

The purpose of the current study was to investigate the factor structure of the Spouse Observation Checklist-Revised using attachment theory as an organizational framework. The study used archival data from a community sample of 92 heterosexual childless couples married 1-5 years and 4 lesbian couples (N = 192). Separate exploratory factor analysis on the Perception of Self-Behavior and Perception of Partner-Behavior items revealed symmetrical 4-factor structures with factors reflecting emotional support, physical intimacy, instrumental support, and disengagement. Separate analyses examined associations of the four identified factors with the Experiences in Close Relationships Scale and the Dyadic Adjustment Scale to begin to place the SOC-R within a nomological network.

The relationship between adult attachment style and romantic relationship quality in marriage relationships was explored. Romantic relationship quality was measured at the working model (or perceptual) and the behavioral levels. No previous research had investigated romantic relationship quality as reflecting specific attachment related perceptions of self and spouse or as attachment related behaviors. Two hundred and six married subjects were recruited from university campuses, churches, and on an individual basis. Most of the subjects were white, middle class, and had children. Subjects completed self-report questionnaires measuring adult attachment style, working model of self and romantic partner, and reports of relationship behaviors of self and romantic partner. The first hypothesis proposed that attachment style differences would be seen in specific attachment related working models of self and romantic partner. The second hypothesis proposed that attachment style differences would be seen in reports of attachment related behaviors for self and romantic partner. Hypotheses were tested using multivariate analysis of variance.

This study examined the effectiveness of an intervention designed to increase self forgiveness for women who have recently experienced a romantic relationship breakup. Of particular interest were the interactions between adult attachment style, treatment condition, and time. The current study examined how the following variables differ between attachment style groups and how they change over time with respect to treatment condition: aspects of the former relationship, emotional responses to personal transgressions within the relationship, general negative and positive affect, dispositional forgivingness, positive and negative attitudes toward self, feelings of unforgiveness toward self and ex-partner, and feelings of forgiveness of self and ex-partner. Data were collected over a period of four weeks from 74 undergraduate women who had experienced a breakup within the two months prior to beginning the study. Results found that there were some initial differences in dependent variables between attachment style categories, which were controlled for when examining interaction effects between attachment, treatment condition, and time. Results indicated that attachment did not affect participants’ responses to the self-forgiveness intervention. However, there were significant interactions between treatment condition and time. Results are discussed in terms of previous research. Limitations of the current study are discussed and suggestions for future research are presented.

This thesis tests Robert S. Weiss's 1973 theory of loneliness, which claims two types of loneliness: emotional and social. Emotional loneliness is the affective reaction to the absence of a close attachment bond. Social loneliness stems from inadequate integration into a social network. Undergraduate residents of a university dormitory completed questionnaires on loneliness, attachment, personality, and relationships with other dorm residents. Patterns of relational ties among participants were evaluated using social network analysis, specifically density, tie strength, and four forms of centrality. Results reveal that, while controlling for neuroticism, the network measure of outdegree and the two attachment dimensions accounted for more than half the variance in loneliness, R = .73. None of the three predictors intercorrelated significantly. A portion of loneliness is derived from one's internal attachment security and a separate portion is derived from the external features of one's social network integration.

MOTHER-INFANT SYNCHRONY DURING INFANT FEEDING By Barbara A. Reyna, PhD A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2010. Major Director: Rita H. Pickler, PhD Endowed Nursing Alumni Professor Department of Family and Community Health Nursing, School of Nursing Synchrony between a mother and her infant is fundamental to their developing relationship. Feeding is an essential activity that provides an opportunity for interaction between a mother and her infant and may lead to synchronous interaction. The purpose this study was to develop and test a coding system, the Maternal-Infant Synchrony Scale (MISS), for assessing synchrony of feeding interaction between a mother and her preterm infant. The secondary aims were to: (1) describe mother and preterm infant synchrony during feeding; (2) examine mother-infant synchrony during feeding over time; (3) examine the mediating effects of infant severity of illness, behavior state, birth gestation, and birth weight, and maternal depression, and maternal responsiveness and sensitivity on mother-infant synchrony; and (4) test the criterion-related validity of the synchrony scale. A descriptive, longitudinal design using data collected during an earlier study was employed; a sample dataset from 10 mother-infant dyads that completed three data collection points (30 observations total) was used. Data were also collected on maternal depression and responsiveness and sensitivity and dyadic tension and reciprocity. For this analysis, scores for infant severity illness and behavior state were computed. The Noldus Observer XT 8.0 (Noldus Information Technology b.v., 2006) was used for data review and coding. The MISS was created by determining the frequency of select behaviors and the percentage of time behaviors occurred during the feeding; changes in behaviors over the three observations periods were calculated. Mothers were attentive and focused during feedings. The influence of infant maturation on feeding behaviors was evident across observations; infant attempts at interaction (gazing at mother) were greater than the mother attempts to engage her infant. MISS scores were not significantly different over the observations, the selected mediators had no significant effect on synchrony, and the criterion validity for the MISS was not established. This study revealed behaviors that are descriptive of the interaction and can be used to develop interventions that would support the developing relationship. Use of the MISS with a larger sample size and a cohort of healthy, term newborns is needed to establish the MISS as a valid and reliable measure of synchrony.

Master of Science / Department of Family Studies and Human Services / Jared R. Anderson / This study investigated the relationships between attachment style, relationship confidence, and constructive communication among a sample of 71 newlywed military couples. Using Karney & Crown’s (2007) military adapted Vulnerability-Stress-Adaptation model as a guide, the current study predicted that romantic attachment style (an enduring vulnerability) would be associated with couples’ communication (an adaptive process) directly, and indirectly through marital confidence (a marital resource). Actor and partner effects were examined using the Actor Partner Interdependence Model (APIM; Kenny, Kashy, & Cook, 2006). Results indicate that after controlling for financial worry and husband’s rank, wives’ avoidant attachment was directly associated with her constructive communication and husband’s anxious attachment was directly associated with his constructive communication. Tests of mediating paths from anxious and avoidant attachment to relationship confidence through constructive communication were significant for wives. When accounting for anxious attachment partner effects were present between relationship confidence and constructive communication. The results suggest the importance of assessing for attachment style and relationship confidence when working with military couples in the early years of their marriage.