Security of attachment and level of individuation from parents and peers was examined among 42 undergraduates with a history of suicidality, 42 undergraduates with depression, and 42 undergraduate controls. Suicidal students had the least security of attachment, the least degree of individuation, and the highest incidence of parental…

Examined thresholds for two aspects of child care: adult-child ratio and group size. Investigated associations among different levels of these variables and with quality of care and children's social development. Findings suggest that meeting licensing standards for ratios and groups has a positive effect on ratings of the quality of care provided…

Infant-mother dyads classified as anxiously attached intervention and control or securely attached control were compared. Intervention toddlers were lower than anxious controls in avoidance, resistance, and anger, and higher in partnership with mother. Intervention mothers were higher in empathy and interactiveness. No differences between…

Reviews two models of community-attachment, linear-development and systematic models, using data on social ties and local sentiments from survey respondents in Iowa communities. Linear-development variables (population size and density) relate weakly to community attachment. Systematic variables (residence length, income, and age) relate more…

The five chapters and epilogue of this special issue present theoretical and empirical contributions on the relevance of attachment theory to cognitive development and education. A literature review is followed by explorations of attachment theory and emotions, cognitive development, literacy, and the communication effectiveness of the mother.…

Maintains that the Italian concept of "l'inserimento" suggests a different way of thinking about children's entry to out-of-home care and challenges American practitioners to rethink current interpretations of quality care, teachers' professional responsibilities, and the role of child-development theory. Concludes that cultural…

College students (N=217) completed questionnaires to examine associations between codependency, relationship quality, and personality characteristics. Codependency was associated with lower self-esteem and lower perception of interpersonal control. Codependency was also found to be associated with greater self-consciousness, social anxiety, and…

Ninety-two adult female incest survivors were interviewed and completed measures of current functioning. Hierarchical regression analyses suggested that adult attachment behavior was significantly associated with personality structure, depression, and distress; and abuse severity was associated with posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and…

Two studies tested a model relating social competence to social support and child-parent attachment for Head Start children. Results supported the conjecture that social competence should be viewed as hierarchically organized. A model consistent with causal pathways from attachment security to support networks and social competence, and from…

Examined the processes and outcomes of teacher-child attachment relationship formation in a therapeutic preschool. Twenty-one children were sorted with the same teacher three times using Attachment-Q Sort (AQS). Results indicated that children who were least secure, most avoidant, and most resistant in their initial teacher-child relationship were…

Investigated the influence of child intellectual/adaptive functioning and maternal sensitivity on attachment security, using a sample of children with Down syndrome. Found a relationship between attachment security in DS related to the interaction of maternal sensitivity and cognitive competence. (JPB)

Compares paths of development in Japan (symbiotic harmony) and the United States (generative tension) of parent-child and adult mate relationships, challenging assumptions that certain processes are central in all relationships or that U.S. relationships are less valued or weaker than Japan's. Suggests need to investigate processes underlying, and…

Interviewed 32 families concerning their narrative practices, basic information about the children's story attachments, and the mothers' beliefs and practices concerning their children's attachments. Found that story attachments were social in two ways: Children created relationships with story characters, and formed story attachments with…

Written by a British parent, this case study tells the story of an adopted child who experienced many difficulties adjusting to life at home and school. It describes attachment disorder, possible causes of attachment difficulties, the bonding cycle, therapeutic parenting, and how schools can support the re-nurturing process. (Contains references.)…

Rituals of calming and soothing children toward sleep are an important part of life in any child care program, just as bedtime routines are basic to family life. This article discusses three nap-time rituals developed for infants and toddlers that incorporate comforting, familiar routines and objects, soothing music, and the reassuring presence of…