Early mother-infant interactions are influenced by the eco-cultural context within which they take place and impact the infant´s development of socio-emotional competences. The genetically open programs of the attachment system enable a child within the limits of the system to adapt to varying eco-cultural contexts. This study focuses on the cultural aspects of attachment among the Cameroonian Nso, a prototypical interdependent cultural group very distinct from Western cultures. 32 Nso families with one-year old infants were visited twice by a German / Cameroonian female stranger respectively, who greeted family, mother and child and interacted with the child for five minutes. The visiting scenes were videotaped and the child s reactions were coded with respect to emotional reaction, closeness with mother, signs of avoidance or approach towards the stranger. Additionally, the mothers were interviewed on attachment topics. Results for the greeting scenes show three distinct reaction patterns, independent of whether the stranger was a German or Cameroonian woman. Children reacted predominantly fearful, curious or unemotional. Results are discussed by drawing on information gathered through the interviews which suggest that calm, non-distressed children are highly valued in the Nso ethnicity and that mothers deliberately use frightening behavior as a means of education. From a western point of view, maternal frightening behavior is considered to be responsible for the development of disorganization; The results suggest that within the cultural context of the Nso, however, typical reactions traditionally associated with disorganization like freezing and impassiveness need to be (re-)interpreted according to the eco-cultural context.

Studies linking religion and its impact on humans have increased over time with health being the most studied outcome in statistical analysis. Even so, the use of variables, models and approaches has been homogenous being applied among similar groups and places. The aim of the thesis is for that reason to investigate to what extent there is an association between religiousness and health in Cyprus (n=3 355), Finland (n=4 058), Norway (n=4 691) and Ireland (n=6 869) adjusting for potential confounders age, gender and education. Logistic regression analyses were applied, including subjective level of religiousness as predictor and good subjective general health as outcome in conjunction with the Theory of Attachment. The data is collected from The European Social Survey from 2008, 2010 and 2012. Middle religious have significant higher odds of good health than individuals that categorized by themselves as Not at all religious in Cyprus, Norway and Ireland while adjusting for age and education. Low, Middle and High religious are significantly associated with good health in Finland compared to Not at all religious. There is an association between religiousness and health in the four European countries while age and education potentially confound the relationship in Norway and Ireland.

In the field of neuroscience, being in love and feeling romantically attached to a partner is described as a dynamic process. Romantic love may be viewed as a motivational system, changing throughout time and place, fluctuating on the interest and motivation of the individual. Early memories and attachment towards a caregiver, lay the foundation for later attachment behavior, also known as attachment styles. In this thesis, an exploratory approach is present. The thesis aims to introduce and describe the neural correlates of romantic love and romantic attachment. Brain regions concerned with reward, emotion and thought processing, such as the reward circuitry network of the brain and the limbic system, are being investigated. So are other brain areas involved in romantic love and romantic attachment. Research findings suggest that brain areas responsible for affection, emotional control, learning, memory and social judgment are all involved in the complex processes of being in love and feeling romantically attached. These findings are represented by the involvement of the frontal lobe, cerebral cortex, limbic system, orbitofrontal cortex, and hippocampus, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), ventral tegmental area (VTA), caudate tail, including the reward pathways of the brain. Distribution and regulation of neurotransmitters such as; vasopressin, oxytocin, dopamine, corticosterone and serotonin are all present in the state of romantic  attachment and romantic love. Overlapping evidence confirms the involvement of the reward circuitry network, together with the limbic system as crucial in the formation and maintenance of a romantic relationship.

No description available.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / In sociological literature and in health policies on adolescent sexual behavior, researchers, educators, and policymakers continue to express their concern with the high number of adolescents engaging in an early sexual debut because of pregnancy risk, high rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). In particular, much attention is given to the young age of sexual experiences among Black youth compared to those of other races. However, for Black female adolescents, the experiences and dilemmas they face can be more compelling, because the “Black female experience defies a singular definition” (Rozie-Battle 2002, p. 60). This study will fill a gap in previous literature on sexual decisions among Black teens by moving beyond a discussion of only negative decisions. If attachment and social bond theory are taken into consideration, family instability could weaken attachment and lead to riskier sex by weakening controls on undesirable behavior like condom non-use. These same theories would also pose that weakened attachment between family members and adolescent women can create replacement ties and stronger bonds to a sexual partner, which in turn leads to more sex, but not necessarily riskier sex. Utilizing the Young Women’s Project (YWP) at Indiana University, the present study investigates both of these hypotheses.

Syftet med denna studie var att bidra med kunskap om förskollärares erfarenheter av och arbete med introduktion för barn i förskolans verksamheter. Fyra förskollärare intervjuades på samma förskola men som arbetade på olika avdelningar. Semistrukturerade intervjuer användes som metod. Resultatet visar att genom att inspireras av samtliga introduktionsmodeller kan det gynna barnets välbefinnande. Även att anpassa introduktionen efter barnets individuella behov för barnets trygghet och anknytnings skull. Ett resultat som framkom var att trygghet är det mest väsentliga under introduktionen. Även vårdnadshavarens trygghet visade sig vara väsentligt för att skapa en god samverkan mellan hem och förskola. En god samverkan skapar förutsättningar för barnets välbefinnande och trygghetsskapande. En viktig slutsats i denna studie blev att anpassa introduktionen efter barnets och vårdnadshavarens individuella behov för att på så sätt skapa trygghet och anknytningsrelationer för barnet. / The purpose of this study was to contribute with knowledge about preschool teachers' experiences of and work with introduction for children in preschool activities. Four preschool teachers were interviewed at the same preschool but who worked in different departments. Semi-structured interviews were used as method. The result shows that by being inspired by all the introduction models, it can benefit the child's well-being. Also adapting the introduction to the child's individual needs for the sake of the child's safety and attachment. One result that emerged was that safety is the most essential thing during the introduction. The safety of the parent also proved to be essential to create a good collaboration between home and preschool. A good collaboration creates conditions for the child's well-being and creating safety. An important conclusion in this study was to adapt the introduction to the individual needs of the child and parent in order to create safety and attachment relationships for the child.

This is a candidate’s thesis for the programme for Social Workers at the Linneaus University in Växjö. This study has the purpose to understand what protective-factors that may be important for children who grow up in a risk environment. This has been done through reading autobiographies written by adults who have been born and raised in destructive environments. The data has been collected with the use of a narrative analysis. The result has then been viewed and analyzed with the help of attachment-theory, a salutogene perspective and with ecological systems theory. The results from this candidate’s thesis shows that we have been able to identify protective factors in three major categories; Individual attributes, relationships and factors that exists outside of the family environment. These factors have been analyzed and explained through the perspective of attachment-theory, a salutogene perspective and with ecological systems theory. Our findings suggest that there exists several important relationships between our result, the previous research and what the theories suggest is important for children as protective factors. They are: basic need of security, need of development and understanding and finally an importance in the needs for children to have a sense of coherence.

Stressors stemming from tactical policing such as social isolation and increased work responsibilities often spill over into the home and affect personal relationships. Using attachment theory as the guiding framework, this mixed methods study aimed to obtain a better understanding of the factors involved in maintaining long-term relationships between tactical officers and their romantic partners. Phase I consisted of surveys administered to tactical officers in Kentucky and measured romantic partner attachment, organizational and operational police stressors. Research questions examined how operational and organizational stress correlated with attachment while controlling for demographics. Analysis indicated that holding a rank above an officer has a significant relationship to both operational and organizational stress. Influenced by the findings from phase I, phase II consisted of 30 qualitative interviews with both tactical officers and their romantic partners. Using elements of attachment theory, symbolic interactionism, and components comprising the spirit of grounded theory, four primary themes with supporting subthemes were discovered: (1) communication, a key component of successful relationships; (2) isolation, particularly from socializing with those outside policing or tactical policing; (3) job related stress, where participants indicated more stress with tactical duties; and (4) tactical team as family and trust where participants indicated that personal support among team members was essential to building the mutual trust needed for the dangers of tactical policing. These themes indicated important findings including better communication between couples who had a romantic partner working in a criminal justice related field and discovery of stressors unique to tactical policing including increased job-related stress pertaining to the higher physical, moral and intellectual standards needed for tactical policing. Participant-based advice and recommendations for more tailored support services for tactical officers and their families were also developed from the findings of phase II and included a need for family notification systems and creation of family-oriented trainings. Relationships between the phases highlighted unique aspects of police subculture within tactical policing and its effects on the personal and occupational lives of tactical officers.

Syftet med denna studie är att nå en djupare förståelse om hur samhället ska kunna stödja barn som växer upp under ogynnsamma förhållanden på ett bättre sätt. Studien baseras på en litteraturstudie på sex stycken självbiografier som valts ut efter vissa kriterier. Dessa självbiografier har sammanställts utifrån en kvalitativ innehållsanalys och ett antal teman som svarar på våra forskningsfrågor identifierades. Utifrån studiens syfte och frågeställningar har teorier om risk- och skyddsfaktorer, KASAM, skam, resiliens samt anknytning valts ut. Tidigare forskning visar på att utsatta barn och social barnavård är ett eftersatt forskningsområde. Vårt resultat av denna studie visar på brister inom såväl socialtjänsten som samhället i övrigt. Det finns ett omfattande behov av att ständigt uppmärksamma och tydliggöra vilket stöd dessa barn kan få. / The purpose of this study is to gain a deeper understanding of how society better can support and protect children who grow up under challenging and unfavorable circumstances. This study is based on six autobiographies which have been selected based on certain criteria. These autobiographies have been compiled based on a qualitative content analysis and a number of topics have been identified. Based on the purpose of the study and its framing of questions theories of risk and protective factors, Sense Of Coherense, shame, resilience and attachment theory has been chosen. Existing research indicates that children at risk and social child care are a somewhat neglected research area. The result of this study highlights a number of deficiencies both within the social welfare system and the society as a whole. There is a large need for continuous appreciation and clarification of the support that these children can expect.

研究目的：本研究釐清不同成人依戀風格在羅夏克墨漬測驗上的表現，並檢證Fonagy的精神分析理論，進而反思臨床心理學上的應用。 研究程序：研究期間，共招募到302位大學部學生填寫《親密關係經驗量表—關係結構版》。而後，根據量表信、效度分析後，篩選出高焦慮依戀分數、高逃避依戀分數及兩分數均低之控制組各25人，邀請其參與羅夏克墨漬測驗。最終收取焦慮依戀組12人、逃避依戀組12人、安全依戀控制組15人進行資料分析。 研究結果：認知及投入向度方面，焦慮依戀者與逃避依戀者在F%顯著高於安全依戀者；同時，焦慮依戀者在Complexity、Sy、Blend、M及MC 表現亦差於安全依戀者，答題使用範圍則顯示Dd%較高、W%較低。情緒指標方面，焦慮依戀者在V變數上顯著高於其他兩組。人際互動方面，焦慮依戀者的SumH及H顯著低於安全依戀者。 研究貢獻：本研究初步支持Fonagy精神分析論於不安全依戀者的認知與心智化、情緒控制與人際表徵分化等證據。此一結果亦可增加臨床實務中對不安全依戀者的衡鑑遞增效度，並探究其背後的心理病理機制。 / Objective: When attachment comes to assessment, many clinicians would utilize self-report inventories to gather information. However, different attachment styles, in fact, represent diverse behavior patterns; thus, using instruments adopting multi-rating techniques such as the Rorschach would be ideal. Based on Fonagy’s psychodynamic theory and past Rorschach results, we predict participants with different attachment styles will have different pattern in Rorschach task. Methods: We conducted a double-blind research design and recruited 302 volunteers. All participants were required to fill out the Experiences in Close Relationship - Relationship Structure inventory, a measurement used to classify the adult attachment styles. The top 7% of highest scoring participants on the Anxiety Dimension were assigned to the Anxiety Group(ANG), and the same strategy was applied to those in the Avoidance Group(AVG). The Control Group(CG) consisted of 7% of the randomly-selected individuals who scored below the means of both Anxiety and Avoidance Dimensions. Participants in these three groups were invited and encouraged to take the Rorschach test according to the R-PAS. Results: Current research collected 39 participants Rorschach protocols (n = 12 for both the ANG and ACG; n = 15 for the CG). Results shows that both ANG and AVG have higher F% then CG, and ANG have lower Complexity, Sy, Blend, M, W%, MC, SumH and H then CG. ANG have higher V then AVG and CG. Conclusion: Current results partially supported Fonagy’s psychodynamic theory. Results also support using multi-rating tasks to increase assessment validity when evaluating different attachment styles in clinical settings.