The Attachment Doll-play Interview for preschoolers

Children's narratives about attachment themes were elicited using the Attachment Doll-play Interview (ADI) and compared with measures of attachment based on a separation-reunion observation and on the Waters and Deane (1985) Attachment Q-sort. Two correlates of attachment, self-esteem and attention-seeking strategies, were also measured. Children who were more secure based on the ADI, as reflected in emotional openness and descriptions of positive mother-child interactions, behaved more independently during separations and reunions, and were rated by teachers as having higher levels of self-esteem and age-appropriate attention-seeking strategies. No significant correlations were found between ADI responses and the Attachment Q-sort. The results of this study converge with previous research which has used narratives to assess attachment among young children, and highlight the importance of open communication as an aspect of security.