依恋研究方法述评

依恋研究内容的丰富和发展是以其研究方法的发展为基础的.本文概述了依恋研究领域中与不同年龄阶段相对应的三种影响较大的研究方法,即陌生情境法、依恋Q-set以及成人依恋访谈,并对这些依恋研究方法的优缺点、及其方法之间的关系进行了评述.     

Continuous measurement of attachment behavior: A multimodal view of the strange situation procedure

Infant attachment is a critical indicator of healthy infant social-emotional functioning, which is typically measured using the gold-standard Strange Situation Procedure (SSP). However, expert-based attachment classifications from the SSP are time-intensive (with respect both to expert training and rating), and do not provide an objective, continuous record of infant behavior. To continuously quantify predictors of key attachment behaviors and dimensions, multimodal movement and audio data were collected during the SSP. Forty-nine 1-year-olds and their mothers participated in the SSP and were tracked in three-dimensional space using five synchronized Kinect sensors; LENA recordings were used to quantify crying duration. Theoretically-informed multimodal measures of attachment-related behavior (e.g., dyadic contact duration, infant velocity of approach toward the mother, and infant crying) were used to predict expert rating scales and dimensional summaries of attachment outcomes. Stepwise regressions identified sets of multimodal objective measures that were significant predictors of eight of nine of the expert ratings of infant attachment behaviors in the SSP’s two reunions. These multimodal measures predicted approximately half of the variance in the summary approach/avoidance and resistance/disorganization attachment dimensions. Incorporating all objective measures as predictors regardless of significance levels, predicted individual ratings within an average of one point on the original Likert scales. The results indicate that relatively inexpensive Kinect and LENA sensors can be harnessed to quantify attachment behavior in a key assessment protocol, suggesting the promise of objective measurement to understanding infant-parent interaction.     

Maternal Sensitivity: Evidence of Stability across Time,Contexts, and Measurement Instruments

Although maternal sensitivity is widely understood as having a direct impact on the quality of the mother–child relationship, empirical evidence supporting this has been inconsistent, possibly because of varied definitions of the construct and limitations of measurements. The Maternal Behavior Q‐Set (MBQS) appears to be a promising measure of sensitivity, showing associations with attachment security (r = .60) higher than those reported (r = .24) in a highly‐regarded meta‐analysis of other sensitivity measures. The present study aimed to further establish the validity and utility of the MBQS by exploring its consistency with a contingency‐based measure of sensitivity, while also seeking evidence of stability across contexts and times. Seventy‐two mothers and their 10‐month‐olds participated in a procedure that included two episodes of Floor Play and Reunions following maternal differential treatment. Mothers were scored on contingent responsivity and warmth. At 12 months, the dyads underwent the Strange Situation Procedure where sensitivity was assessed using a 72‐item version of the MBQS. The findings revealed the stability of maternal sensitivity across times, contexts, and measures. However, linkages applied only to 10‐month scores from reunion, not play, episodes, supporting Pederson and Moran's (1995) assertion that high‐demand circumstances reveal more meaningful differences in maternal sensitivity. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The relationship of academic major and career choice status to anxiety among college freshmen

This study examines the relationship of career and academic major choice status to levels of state anxiety among undergraduate students. A total of 179 resident freshmen responded to a questionnaire concerning their career development status. On the basis of that information, subjects were arranged within a 2 × 2 factorial design of two dichotomous variables: career choice status (decided/undecided) and major choice status (declared/undeclared). Participants were administered the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. An analysis of variance of state anxiety scores yielded a significant main effect for career choice status, with subjects reporting they had already decided on a career direction exhibiting lower levels of state anxiety than those who had not.     

Stability of Maternal Sensitivity Across Time and Contexts with Q‐Sort Measures

This study examined stability of maternal sensitivity and efficacy of a Q‐sort measure of maternal sensitivity across time and context. Two versions of the maternal behavior Q‐set (MBQS) were employed, first during the Strange Situation Procedure (SSP) and second at home, 2.5 years later based on an available subsample. Findings revealed that the MBQS scores assessed at two time points in two contexts were significantly correlated, showing the stability of maternal sensitivity of the subsample over a time period of 2.5 years. The MBQS scores assigned to mothers of preschoolers were also significantly correlated with their children's early interactive behavioural scores given during the SSP. The current findings further support validating the consistency, the versatility and the efficacy of the MBQS as a sound measure of maternal sensitivity. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

ATTACHMENT IN INFANTS WITH CLEFT LIP AND/OR PALATE: MARGINAL SECURITY AND ITS CHANGES OVER TIME

This study examines the attachment quality and how this changed over time among infants who had cleft lip and palate (CLP), by conducting a prospective longitudinal study addressing the effects of this type of perinatal event on the parent–infant relationship and the emotional development of the infants. At 12 months of age, the Strange Situation Paradigm (SSP; M. Ainsworth, M.C. Blehar, E. Waters, & T. Wall, 1978) was administered to a sample of 38 CLP infants (born between 2003 and 2010) and 17 healthy controls. At 4 years of age, the Attachment Story Completion Task (ASCT; I. Bretherton, D. Ridgeway, & J. Cassidy, 1990) was administered to 32 individuals from the CLP sample and 14 from the control group. As reported in the literature, CLP infants display secure attachment behaviors as frequently as do control infants (55%). However, a more detailed analysis of the attachment scales revealed that CLP infants show more avoidance and less proximity seeking. In addition, a closer examination of the subcategories of attachment styles revealed that most CLP infants (71%) displayed distal attachment strategies such as the B1/B2 or A1/A2 subcategories. At 4 years old, CLP infants clearly displayed more deactivation and less security than did the control sample. Moreover, when detailing the evolution of attachment individually, almost 60% of the CLP children showing distal strategies at 12 months became deactivated or disorganized when they reached 4 years. Indeed, subtle differences in attachment behaviors at 12 months old—which can be considered marginally secure at that age—may reveal attachment vulnerabilities, which seem to be more apparent over the course of development.     

Applicability and attachment findings of the Strange Situation Paradigm in infants with visual impairment

Attachment studies with diverse populations enrich the understanding of infants’ socioemotional development by documenting both universal and idiosyncratic aspects of attachment. Given the effects of attachment in children's socioemotional outcomes, such studies are necessary to investigate the impact of children's sensory impairments on attachment development. Yet, very little attachment research has focused on infants with visual impairment (VI infants), a population in which infant–caregiver emotional exchanges through visual means are reduced/absent. We investigated the applicability of the Strange Situation Paradigm (SSP), with added instructions to compensate for degraded visual input, in 20 VI infants (with no additional disabilities and who were receiving developmental counseling). In all but 1 of the SSPs coded, VI infants displayed observable attachment behavior that was classifiable. Nineteen VI infants showed attachment by 12 months of age. Across the ages tested (fractional age range = 0.9–2.33 months), most VI infants’ attachment patterns were classified as secure and organized.