Background: Play impairments in autism are intrinsic to its definition but there is continuing debate about whether they are specific to symbolic play or found across all play behaviours. In typically developing children, play development is strongly linked to other aspects of development, to the quality of caregiving behaviour and attachment relationships; however, these associations are less well characterised in autism. Three previous empirical studies have found links between play and attachment quality in autism similar to those in typical development. Additionally, a number of recent studies have investigated patterns of child attachment in autism, finding a range of attachment styles, which argue against primary attachment difficulties in the disorder. Rationale: This study aimed to i) make a detailed study of the early development of play in autism; ii) explore for the first time the role of caregiver play; iii) extend the small literature on the relationship between child play and child attachment. Method: 49 children aged two and five years diagnosed with core autism were group-matched with 45 neurotypical children on gender and non-verbal development. Detailed structured video-coding of both child and caregiver play in a naturalistic setting was made at baseline (T1), after seven months (T2), and after 13 months (T3), using Noldus Observer. Child attachment behaviour was assessed using the Brief Attachment Screening Questionnaire at T1 and T3. Results: Children with autism showed similar patterns of play change over time to controls but at a delayed rate; with more simple exploratory play and reduced advanced functional play at all three timepoints and reduced symbolic play development identified by T3. Group differences were also found in caregiver play. Quality and complexity of child and caregiver play were largely associated. Emergence of more advanced forms of child play in both groups was predicted by level of previous child play; and also level of caregiver play, but only if it was developmentally appropriate. Children with autism showed similar responses to caregiver behaviour as typical children, despite their core social impairments. By contrast, simple play reduced over time in both groups irrespective of the nature of caregiver play. There were group differences in child attachment behaviours at T1 and T3. However, attachment quality showed no relationship to child play development. Conclusions: The play of children with autism was generally delayed compared to controls, with no evidence of a specific delay in symbolic play. In both autism and typical development, emergence of more complex forms of play was predicted by developmentally sensitive caregiver play, consistent with the Vygotskian theory of a 'zone of proximal development'. Developmental reduction in simple play however was independent of caregiver, consistent with Piagetian theory of children as 'lone scientists' in this context. Child attachment and play quality were not specifically related.

This thesis has been prepared in paper based format. The thesis focusses of the use of experimental manipulations in the investigation of paranoia and extends the use of these to an empirical investigation of the role of attachment theory in paranoia. Papers 1 and 2 have been prepared for submission to Clinical Psychology Review and Schizophrenia Bulletin respectively. Paper 1 provides a comprehensive overview of experimental paradigms that aim to induce or manipulate paranoid thinking in both clinical and analogue samples. Twenty-seven studies were identified that satisfied inclusion criteria for the review. The strengths, limitations, effectiveness of individual paradigms, as well as of the literature as a whole, are considered throughout the review and recommendations for future research are made. Theoretical and clinical implications are also discussed.Paper 2 reports an experimental analogue in which participants (N=60) were randomised to a secure attachment prime (or neutral/positive affect control) condition before being exposed to a paranoia induction paradigm. Dispositional levels of insecure attachment were associated with both trait and state paranoid thinking. Contrary to predictions, the secure attachment prime did not appear to buffer paranoid thinking. The secure attachment prime was indicated to have a negative impact for people with high levels of attachment anxiety, who experienced higher levels of paranoia following the paranoia induction. Paper 3 is a critical reflection of the submitted papers and research process as a whole. The strengths and limitations of the presented research, methodological considerations and implications for clinical practice and theory are discussed and directions for future research are highlighted.

A total of 321 young adult sibling dyads (104 male-female, 108 male-male, and 109 female-female) and 131 singletons completed a set of questionnaires examining the sibling relationship from an attachment perspective. Four central research findings are presented: First, attachment to sibling was significantly correlated with parenting, adult attachment self-model, satisfaction with social support, frequency of contact, and personality traits. Specifically, increased independence encouragement and acceptance by parents, decreased maternal rivalry, a more positive self-model, larger and more satisfying social support networks, and greater frequency of contact between siblings were related to greater quality of attachment to sibling. Also, higher levels of NEO Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, and Emotional Stability were positively correlated with attachment to sibling. Second, there was considerable reciprocity in the attachment relationship for all pair types (r = .58) indicating that siblings' ratings of the quality of their attachment to each other tend to correspond quite highly. Third, more positive self- and other-models were related to increased ratings of positive relationship variables such as affection, emotional support, and satisfaction, and decreased ratings of negative relationship variables such as antagonism, quarreling and alienation. Fourth, concordance rates in attachment self- and other-models were very low, indicating that siblings do not resemble each other in the attachment dimensions. However, siblings appear to describe each other's attachment models relatively accurately, and perceive themselves as having similar self- and other-models to their siblings. Findings are discussed in terms of theoretical advancements for attachment theory and the sibling literature, and practical implications for fostering positive sibling relationships. / Arts, Faculty of / Psychology, Department of / Graduate

The process by which earned-secures achieve attachment security in adulthood, despite having insecure parent-child relationships in childhood, was the focus of the current study. As internal working models are thought to be formed within relationships, specifically primary attachment bonds (Bowlby, 1969), it was postulated that secondary attachment relationships, specifically those that were positive, had the capacity to revise insecure models of self and other. In the current study, the secondary attachment histories of undergraduates who were earned-secure and continuously-insecure, or insecurely attached since childhood, were compared. A new measure of secondary attachment quality was developed (Questionnaire About Secondary Attachment Figures (Q-SAF)), which was used to measure undergraduates' perceptions of their past and current secondary attachment figures. Findings indicated that in comparison to continuous-insecures, earned-secures perceived their negative secondary attachment figures in adolescence as less mean. Earned-secures also reported being less dependent upon these figures' approval of them for their self-worth and more secure within these relationships. In adulthood, earned-secures reported more trust and intimacy with their positive secondary attachment figures. Compared to continuous-insecures, earned-secures described their peers as being more empathic and altruistic during childhood and more warm during adolescence; earned-secures also reported less dependency and greater closeness with their peers throughout development. Grandparents were listed the most frequently by earned-secures as positive secondary attachment figures during childhood and this number was more than double that for continuous-insecures. Further, earned-secures described their grandparents in childhood as being more altruistic and they reported being less concerned with receiving their acceptance. Siblings from childhood were described by earned-secures as being more empathic than those of continuous-insecures, yet earned-secures also reported greater dismissing attachment to their siblings and cousins in childhood. Significant others from adolescence were rated by earned-secures as being less mean than those of continuous-insecures and earned-secures reported being more securely attached to these relationships in both adolescence and adulthood. Implications of the current study and directions for future research are presented.

The present study examined the factor structure of the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment (IPPA; Armsden & Greenberg, 1987) in a US sample of 282 clinic-referred anxious Latino youth (48.9% girls; M = 10.5 years). The IPPA is a self-report questionnaire that assesses youths’ perceptions of attachment to parents and to peers and contains a three factor structure with items measuring Trust, Communication, and Alienation. Both confirmatory factor analysis and exploratory factor analysis were performed to test the factor structure of the IPPA in a sample of anxious Latino youth. Results showed that a two factor structure best accounted for the data in the present study. These findings are inconsistent with prior research concluding that the IPPA contained a three factor structure (Armsden & Greenberg, 1987). Results suggest that the IPPA may not capture the intended constructs among ethnically diverse clinic-referred populations. Implications of the findings are further discussed.

No description available.

Research has found that attachment relationships between parents and children are formed independent of each other and have different outcomes for the child. Very little research regarding parent-child attachment relationships has been done with children who have a disability. This study aimed to learn more about whether differences exist in attachment relationships between mothers and fathers and whether or not the child has a disability. Results indicate that fathers of children with a disability appear to have less secure attachments with their children compared to fathers of typically developing children as well as mothers of children with and without disabilities. It is unclear as to why this may be; however, it is hypothesized that factors such as understanding the child’s needs and being able to engage in highly stimulating play (e.g., throwing child in the air, etc.) may contribute to this finding. Further research is needed to better understand what factors contribute to the development of a secure attachment between the father-child dyad when the child has a disability and why fathers may be experiencing greater difficulty than mothers of children with a disability as well as fathers of typically developing children.

Research has established that network members’ opinions do impact romantic relationship outcomes. The present study examined whether attachment styles moderate the impact social network members have upon relationship satisfaction and commitment. Participants were primed to activate one of three attachment styles, and then read one of 6 vignettes describing a hypothetical relationship experiencing approval/disapproval from friends/family. After reading, participants completed measures to indicate how satisfied and committed they would be in the hypothetical relationship. Thus, the study employed a 3 (Type of opinion: approval, disapproval, no opinion) x 2 (Source of opinion: parent, friend) x 3 (Attachment prime: secure, anxious, avoidant) factorial design. Analyses revealed that supportive network opinions increase relationship satisfaction and commitment relative to relationships facing disapproval. However, the impact of disapproval was not significantly different from knowing nothing about the network’s perception. No other effects emerged, perhaps due to the failure of the attachment prime.

No description available.

No description available.