Objective: Attachment theory offers an intriguing formulation of protection and risk that ties together key aspects of behavior, emotion, and cognition. The authors present links among attachment status, other developmental domains, and the development and maintenance of externalizing disorders to illustrate an approach to integrating attachment…

Suggests that attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is frequently misdiagnosed and provides an alternative way of viewing such problem behaviors in children. Presents a framework that views childrens' behaviors within the context of the parent/child attachment patterns and suggests interventions that shift the focus from the child to the…

Data from 918 children from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Study of Early Child Care were examined to test the interrelation of attachment and attentional performance and 2 known risks for poor attentional performance: male gender and social-contextual adversity. Attachment was measured using the Strange…

A review of 17 of the most current empirical research studies on the pscyhosocial adjustment of maltreated children suggests that, compared to nonabused children, physically abused children manifest a greater number and frequency of behavior problems, have poor peer relationships and social skills, are less socially involved, have less empathy,…

Fixation on deviance and deficit in children with emotional/behavioral problems fosters greater alienation. Native American empowerment values show a better way: significance is nurtured in a community celebrating belonging; competence is ensured by giving all opportunities for mastery; power is available to all by cultivating independence; and…

Examined contributions of attachment, maternal-reported stress, and mother-child interaction to the prediction of teacher-reported behavior problems in 121 French-Canadian children. Security of attachment significantly predicted likelihood of behavior problems: insecure children labeled controlling or other were most at risk for…

Examined affectively-charged moral narratives and attachment-related narratives of preschoolers. Found that, after controlling for child age, gender, SES, and expressive language ability, children with more externalizing problems were more likely to describe aggressive themes, and less likely to mention adult aid or taking responsibility for…

Preschool to school-age trajectories of 242 children, including 37 with insecure-disorganized and 66 with insecure-organized attachment patterns, were examined. Child attachment and stressful life events (the latter retrospectively) were measured at ages 5-7, and mother-child interactive quality, parenting stress, marital satisfaction, and…

One hundred eight preschool children and their teachers participated in a cross-sectional study of the socio-emotional correlates of mathematics skills. Children's strengths and difficulties were considered as possible correlates of skills. Initiative, self-control, and attachment were all related to better math skills. Overall behavior problems,…

A study concerning the mother's mental representation of herself as a caregiver focused on: (1) a conceptual framework developed for the purpose of describing and explaining internal working models of caregiving; and (2) efforts to define caregivers' representations of content and process that seem to be associated with attachment insecurity.…

A study identified the antecedent characteristics of child and family best predicting behavioral/emotional problems at three years of age. Considered were the relationship of the index of attachment security to several mother-child relationship measures and to other child characteristics, such as difficult temperament and sociability. (Author/NH)

Insecurely attached boys were less liked by peers and teachers; were perceived as more aggressive by classmates; and were rated by teachers as less competent and as having more behavior problems than were secure boys. No such association emerged for girls. Participants were 89 children assessed before and after they entered first grade and their…

Suggests that medical advisors may be an important resource for adoptive parents seeking to understand their child's behavior. Examines the effects of the child's past--problems such as loss, poor attachment, or abuse--and how the child and new family adjust. (TJQ)

Examined association between sibling relationships and developmental outcomes in 25 preschool foster children placed with older siblings. Found some association, though inconsistent, between quality of the relationship and child behavior problems and verbal ability. Results suggest the complexity of high-risk sibling relationships and its impact…

Examines the assumption that a high level of autonomy within a context of attachment provides the best constellation for psychosocial adjustments with adolescents (N=400). Results show that attitudinal, emotional, and functional autonomy were connected with attachment to father, mother, and peers to predict indices of psychosocial adjustment:…