Disrupted affective communication characterizes mothers of infants with disorganized but also ambivalent attachments: An Israeli study

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Abstract

This study examined whether maternal disrupted communication, which is associated with disorganized infant attachment, also characterizes mothers of ambivalent infants. The study, conducted in Israel, included a Jewish sample (N = 163; 68 Girls) from diverse socioeconomic status, collected between 1991 and 1993 in an earlier study. The sample over-represented ambivalent and disorganized attachments. Attachment was assessed in the Strange Situation Procedure (SSP) at 12 months and disrupted communication was coded from the SSP using the Atypical Maternal Behavior Instrument for Assessment and Classification (AMBIANCE; Lyons-Ruth et al., 1999). Mothers of ambivalent infants showed higher disrupted communication than mothers of secure, avoidant, and disorganized infants. The findings shed further light on the correlates of ambivalent attachment and call for research regarding maternal and infant characteristics that differentiate ambivalent versus disorganized attachment.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)e59-e70
JournalChild Development
Volume93
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Jan 2022

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 The Authors. Child Development © 2021 Society for Research in Child Development

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health
  • Education
  • Developmental and Educational Psychology

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