<div> <div> <div> <p>Past parent-child attachment studies mainly focused on behavioral exchanges during the early years without exploring the role played by verbal exchanges. During the transition to early childhood, developing cognitive and language abilities provide a new window to examine the influence of mother-led verbal communication skills about attachment-related events, and whether those skills contribute to child attachment security. This study investigates maternal verbal communication skills (i.e., co-construction skills), their relationships with maternal sensitivity and child attachment security, and whether maternal co-construction skills add unique information to the prediction of child security, above and beyond any contributions of maternal sensitivity at 2-3 years of age. Fifty-four mother-child dyads participated in the current study. Maternal co-construction skills were assessed via a joint storytelling task; transcriptions were created and then coded using a set of three scales. Maternal sensitivity and attachment security were assessed using the Maternal Behavior with Preschoolers Q-set (MBPQS) and Attachment Q-set (AQS), respectively. Structural equation modeling was used to address the questions posed. Results indicated that maternal co-construction is not related with maternal sensitivity, though some maternal co-constructive abilities were associated with sensitivity; maternal co- construction was not a significant correlate of child attachment security at 2-3 years of age. Overall, results from this current study extend those of former research on maternal verbal co- construction skills and their relationship with mother-child attachment relationships, demonstrating that maternal language input may not start to play an important role in secure base behavior (i.e., security) until children are older. However, the association between some maternal co-construction skills and maternal sensitivity revealed the potential importance of language communication in mother-child attachment relationship. Verbal abilities were argued to be an important part in parent-child relationships and may influences child attachment longitudinally not concurrently at the beginning of early childhood.</p> </div> </div> </div>

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Attachment theory states that emotion regulation is one of the central features of attachment system. The current study adopted an attachment perspective to investigate how mother-child attachment at 36 months and teacher-child relationships at 54 months influence children’s emotion regulation in 3rd grade, and whether teacher-child relationships moderate the associations between mother-child attachment and children’s emotion regulation. Longitudinal data from the first three phases of the National Institute of Child Health and Human development Early Child Care Research Network of Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (NICHD SECCYD) were used in the study. The results showed that the association of teacher-child conflict and child’s negative engagement with peers was statistically significant. Additionally, teacher-child relationships significantly moderated the impacts of mother-child attachment on children’s emotion regulation. Specifically, the relationship between teacher-child conflict and negative engagement with peers for children with secure attachment and for those with disorganized attachment were in opposite directions. The relationship between teacher-child closeness and negative engagement with peers was significant for children with disorganized attachment, but not for children with secure attachment. And, the results showed that the levels of conflict in teacher-child relationships for children with ambivalent and with disorganized attachment were statistically different from those for children with secure attachment. The present study fills in the research gap with regard to the effects of teacher-child relationships on children’s emotion regulation. It also suggests that children’s experiences of positive teacher-child relationships may compensate for the negative impacts of insecure early mother-child attachment patterns on emotion regulation development.

The study integrated attachment theory and developmental systems theory to examine the mediating and moderating role of teacher-child relationships in characterizing early mother-child attachment influences on behavior problems in preschool. The study used the data from National Institute of Child Health and Human Development's (NICHD) Early child Care Research Network Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (SECCEY). The results indicated that early mother-child attachment did not predict teacher-child closeness after controlling for the demographic variables and prior internalizing problems. Mother-child attachment had a statistically significant effect on teacher-child conflict; specifically, those with insecure-controlling/insecure-other attachments had higher levels of conflict than those with secure attachments. Early mother-child attachment did not have a statistically significant effect on later behavior problems after controlling for demographic variables and prior behavior problems. Teacher-child closeness did not have a statistically significant effect on either internalizing or externalizing problems after controlling for the demographic variables, early mother-child attachment behavior and prior behavior problems. Teacher-child conflict had a statistically significant effect on later behavior problems (both internalizing and externalizing problems) after controlling for the demographic variables, early mother-child attachment behavior and prior behavior problems. However, moderation analyses did not indicate that early mother-child attachment and teacher-child relationship quality interact together to significantly affect the later behavior problems. Mediation analyses also did not indicate that the relationship between early mother-child attachment and later behavior problem was mediated by teacher-child relationships either. However, an indirect effect was found such that those with insecure-controlling/insecure-other attachments had higher levels of conflict (than those with secure attachments) and such conflict was associated with higher levels of externalizing problems.

L’objectif de cette thèse était de contribuer à l’avancement des connaissances quant aux circonstances permettant une transmission intergénérationnelle du risque émanant de l’adversité maternelle et aux mécanismes sous-tendant cette transmission, dans quatre articles empiriques. Le premier visait à explorer la relation entre un historique d’adversité maternelle, la sécurité d’attachement mère-enfant et le tempérament de l’enfant. Les mères ont complété une entrevue semi-structurée portant sur leurs représentations d’attachement avec leurs parents, à 6 mois, et ont évalué le tempérament de leur enfant à 2 ans. La sécurité d’attachement fut également évaluée à 2 ans. Les résultats ont démontré que les enfants dont les mères rapportaient des niveaux supérieurs d’adversité présentaient de moins bons niveaux d’activité comportementale, uniquement lorsqu’ils avaient un attachement sécurisant avec leur mère. Ces résultats suggèrent une transmission intergénérationnelle des effets d’un historique d’adversité maternelle sur le tempérament des enfants. Le deuxième article visait à investiguer si le transporteur de sérotonine (5-HTTLPR) module la transmission de risque intergénérationnelle de l’adversité maternelle sur le tempérament des enfants. L’historique d’adversité maternelle fut évalué en combinant deux mesures auto-rapportées. Les mères ont également évalué le tempérament de leur enfant à 18 et à 36 mois. Le génotype des enfants fut extrait à 36 mois. Les résultats ont révélé un effet d’interaction entre l’adversité maternelle et le génotype de l’enfant sur le tempérament, suggérant une transmission intergénérationnelle des effets de l’adversité maternelle sur le fonctionnement émotionnel des enfants. Le troisième article visait à explorer la relation entre les difficultés d’adaptation psychosociale des mères, la sensibilité maternelle et les symptômes intériorisés de leurs enfants. Les mères ont complété plusieurs questionnaires desquels un score composite de difficultés d’adaptation psychosociale fut extrait. La sensibilité maternelle fut observée à 12 mois. Les symptômes intériorisés des enfants furent évalués par les deux parents à 2 et à 3 ans. Les résultats ont démontré qu’une augmentation des difficultés maternelles d’adaptation psychosociale étaient associée à davantage de symptômes intériorisés chez les enfants, mais seulement chez ceux dont les mères étaient moins sensibles. Ces résultats ont été observés par les mères à 2 ans et par les deux parents à 3 ans. Ces résultats suggèrent que les enfants peuvent être différemment affectés par l’adaptation émotionnelle de leur mère tout en mettant l’emphase sur le rôle protecteur de la sensibilité maternelle. Le quatrième article visait à investiguer les rôles médiateurs de la dépression et de la sensibilité maternelle dans la relation entre un historique d’adversité maternelle et le tempérament de l’enfant. L’historique d’adversité maternelle fut évalué en combinant deux mesures auto-rapportées. Les mères ont également rapporté leurs symptômes dépressifs à 6 mois. La sensibilité maternelle fut évaluée de façon concomitante. Les mères ont évalué le tempérament de leur enfant à 36 mois. Les résultats ont révélé une transmission intergénérationnelle des effets d’un historique d’adversité maternelle à la génération suivante suivant une médiation séquentielle passant d’abord par la dépression maternelle et ensuite par la sensibilité maternelle. Finalement, les résultats des quatre articles ont été intégrés dans la conclusion générale. / The main goal of this dissertation was to document more extensively the circumstances under which intergenerational risk transmission of maternal adversity occurs and to identify underlying processes. The dissertation is comprised of four empirical articles. The first article examined the relation between maternal history of early adversity, mother-child attachment security, and child temperament. Mothers completed a semi-structured interview pertaining to their childhood attachment experiences with their parents at 6 months and rated their children’s temperament at 2 years. Mother-child attachment was also assessed at 2 years. Results showed that children whose mothers received higher scores of early life adversity displayed poorer temperamental activity level outcomes but only when they also showed high concomitant levels of attachment security, suggesting intergenerational effects of maternal early life experiences on child temperament. The second article examined the intergenerational effects of maternal childhood adversity on child temperament targeting the serotonin transporter polymorphism, 5-HTTLPR, as a potential moderator of those maternal influences. Maternal history of early adversity was assessed with an integrated measure derived from two self-report questionnaires. Mothers also rated their children’s temperament at 18 and 36 months. Child genotyping was performed at 36 months. Results yielded a significant interaction effect of maternal childhood adversity and child 5-HTTLPR genotype on child temperament, suggesting intergenerational effects of maternal history of adversity on child emotional function. The third article investigated the interactive effects of maternal psychosocial maladjustment and maternal sensitivity on child internalizing symptoms. Families took part in four assessments between ages 1 and 3 years. Mothers completed several questionnaires from which a composite score of maternal psychosocial maladjustment was derived. Maternal sensitivity was rated by an observer at 12 months. Child internalizing symptoms were assessed by both parents at 2 and 3 years. Results revealed that increased maternal psychosocial maladjustment was related to more internalizing symptoms in children, however only among children of less sensitive mothers whereas children of more sensitive mothers appeared to be protected. This was observed with maternal reports at 2 years, and both maternal and paternal reports at 3 years. These results suggest that young children may be differentially affected by their parents’ emotional adjustment, while highlighting the pivotal protective role of maternal sensitivity in this process. Finally, the fourth article examined the mediating roles of maternal depression and maternal sensitivity in the relation between maternal history of early adversity and child temperament. Maternal history of early adversity was assessed with an integrated measure derived from two self-report questionnaires. Mothers also reported on their depression symptoms at 6 months. Maternal sensitivity was rated concurrently. Mothers also completed a questionnaire on their children’s temperament at 36 months. Results suggested the intergenerational transmission of the effects of maternal childhood adversity to offspring occurs through a two-step, serial pathway, specifically through maternal depression, first, and, then, to maternal sensitivity. Finally, the results of the four articles were integrated into a general conclusion.

L’attachement parent-enfant et le tempérament sont deux concepts fondamentaux dans le développement de l’enfant, car ils sont impliqués dans le développement de ses capacités de socialisation et de régulation émotionnelle. Cependant, le lien entre l’attachement et le tempérament est encore mal compris. La présente recherche évalue s’il y a un lien entre les catégorie d’attachement (A, B, C, D) ainsi que les sous-catégories d’attachement mère-enfant (A, B1, B2, B3, B4, C et D) et père-enfant (A1, A2, B1, B2, B3, B4, C1 et D) et le tempérament (affect négatif, extraversion et autocontrôle) chez les trottineurs (12-30 mois). Les données proviennent du premier temps de mesure du projet de recherche Complémentarité des relations d’attachement père-enfant et mère-enfant : une approche systémique de la famille pour mieux comprendre le développement des enfants d’âge préscolaire (CRA). L’échantillon comprend des familles composées de la mère (n=174), du père (n=173) et de leur enfant. L’attachement mère-enfant et père-enfant a été mesuré à un mois d’intervalle à l’aide de la Situation étrangère de Ainsworth à 12-18 mois. Le tempérament a été mesuré par le questionnaire de Rothbart «Early Child Beavior Questionnaire - Short Form» rempli par la mère et le père à 24-30 mois. Aucun des tests de différence de moyenne ne sont significatifs. Cela indique que les enfants des différentes catégories et sous-catégories d’attachement mère-enfant et père-enfant ne diffèrent pas quant à leur niveau d’affect négatif, l’extraversion et d’autocontrôle. / Parent-child attachment and temperament are two fundamental concepts in child development, because they are involved in the development of both socialization and emotional regulation capacity. However, the connection between those two concepts is still misunderstood. The foregoing research assesses whether there is a connection between mother-child and fatherchild attachment (A, B, C, D), mother-child sub-categories (A, B1, B2, B3, B4, C and D) and father-child sub-categories (A1, A2, B1, B2, B3, B4, C and D) with the temperament (negative affect, surgency and effortful control) of 12-18 month-old toddlers. Data come from the first measurement time in the Complémentarité des relations d’attachement père-enfant et mèreenfant : une approche systémique de la famille pour mieux comprendre le développement des enfants d’âge préscolaire (CRA) research project. The sample is made of families with the mother (n=174) the father (n=173) and their child. The attachment was measured with the Ainsworth Strange Situation at 12-18 month and the temperament was measured by the mothers’ and the fathers’ answers to the Rothbart questionnaire « Early Child Behavior Questionnaire - Short Form » when the child was 24-30 month old. The two MANCOVAS models are not significant. Results indicate that there is no difference between children of either attachment category and sub-category as to toddlers’ negative affect, surgency and effortful control.