ERIC Number: EJ942068
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2006-Nov
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0961-205X
EISSN: N/A
Assessing Attachment Security at Age Three: Q-Sort Home Observations and the MacArthur Strange Situation Adaptation
Posada, German
Social Development, v15 n4 p644-658 Nov 2006
The construction of developmentally appropriate and valid assessments is central to the study of attachment relationships beyond infancy. A common procedure has been that of validating new measures for older children against strange situation classifications obtained in infancy. Although reasonable, a key criterion against which to validate new measures should include concurrent secure base behavior in naturalistic settings. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether three-year-olds' (N = 45) ability to use their mother as a secure base at home was related to their strange situation classifications when using the MacArthur classification system. Behavior in the strange situation was coded by two experts, and independent observers described secure base behavior at home with the attachment Q-Set. Results indicated that strange situation classifications were not related to either global q-set security scores or specific scale scores that reflect the quality of child-mother interactions at home.
Descriptors: Mothers, Toddlers, Attachment Behavior, Security (Psychology), Classification, Measures (Individuals), Validity, Scores, Parent Child Relationship
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A