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Effects of maternal absence due to employment on the quality of infant-mother attachment in a low-risk sample.
Child Dev. 1987 Aug; 58(4):945-54.CD

Abstract

Recent reports have suggested that day-care experience initiated prior to 12 months of age is associated with increased proportions of infants whose attachment to mother is classified as "insecure-avoidant." However, reviewers have questioned the generality of these findings, noting that samples in which associations between early day-care experience and avoidant attachment patterns have been reported come from high-risk populations, and/or that the infants' day-care settings may not have been of high quality. In the present study, effects of maternal absences on infant-mother attachment quality were assessed in a low-risk, middle-class sample (N = 110). In all instances, substitute care had been initiated at least 4 months prior to the infant's first birthday and was provided in the infant's home by a person unrelated to the baby. Infants were assessed using the Ainsworth Strange Situation when they were 12-13 months of age. Analyses indicated that a significantly greater proportion of infants whose mothers worked outside the home (N = 54) were assigned to the category "insecure-avoidant" as compared to infants whose mothers remained in the home (N = 56) throughout the first year of life. Analyses of demographic and psychological data available for the sample indicated that this relation is dependent upon maternal parity (primi- vs. multiparous mother). The association between attachment quality and work status was significant only for firstborn children of full-time working mothers. The results are interpreted as evidence that the repeated daily separations experienced by infants whose mothers are working full-time constitute a "risk" factor for the development of "insecure-avoidant" infant-mother attachments.

Authors

Barglow P
No affiliation info available
Vaughn BE
No affiliation info available
Molitor N
No affiliation info available

MeSH

Child CareFemaleHumansInfantMaleMother-Child RelationsObject AttachmentRiskWomenWomen, Working

Pub Type(s)

Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

Language

eng

PubMed ID

3608664

Citation

Barglow, P, et al. "Effects of Maternal Absence Due to Employment On the Quality of Infant-mother Attachment in a Low-risk Sample." Child Development, vol. 58, no. 4, 1987, pp. 945-54.
Barglow P, Vaughn BE, Molitor N. Effects of maternal absence due to employment on the quality of infant-mother attachment in a low-risk sample. Child Dev. 1987;58(4):945-54.
Barglow, P., Vaughn, B. E., & Molitor, N. (1987). Effects of maternal absence due to employment on the quality of infant-mother attachment in a low-risk sample. Child Development, 58(4), 945-54.
Barglow P, Vaughn BE, Molitor N. Effects of Maternal Absence Due to Employment On the Quality of Infant-mother Attachment in a Low-risk Sample. Child Dev. 1987;58(4):945-54. PubMed PMID: 3608664.
* Article titles in AMA citation format should be in sentence-case
TY - JOUR T1 - Effects of maternal absence due to employment on the quality of infant-mother attachment in a low-risk sample. AU - Barglow,P, AU - Vaughn,B E, AU - Molitor,N, PY - 1987/8/1/pubmed PY - 1987/8/1/medline PY - 1987/8/1/entrez SP - 945 EP - 54 JF - Child development JO - Child Dev VL - 58 IS - 4 N2 - Recent reports have suggested that day-care experience initiated prior to 12 months of age is associated with increased proportions of infants whose attachment to mother is classified as "insecure-avoidant." However, reviewers have questioned the generality of these findings, noting that samples in which associations between early day-care experience and avoidant attachment patterns have been reported come from high-risk populations, and/or that the infants' day-care settings may not have been of high quality. In the present study, effects of maternal absences on infant-mother attachment quality were assessed in a low-risk, middle-class sample (N = 110). In all instances, substitute care had been initiated at least 4 months prior to the infant's first birthday and was provided in the infant's home by a person unrelated to the baby. Infants were assessed using the Ainsworth Strange Situation when they were 12-13 months of age. Analyses indicated that a significantly greater proportion of infants whose mothers worked outside the home (N = 54) were assigned to the category "insecure-avoidant" as compared to infants whose mothers remained in the home (N = 56) throughout the first year of life. Analyses of demographic and psychological data available for the sample indicated that this relation is dependent upon maternal parity (primi- vs. multiparous mother). The association between attachment quality and work status was significant only for firstborn children of full-time working mothers. The results are interpreted as evidence that the repeated daily separations experienced by infants whose mothers are working full-time constitute a "risk" factor for the development of "insecure-avoidant" infant-mother attachments. SN - 0009-3920 UR - https://www.unboundmedicine.com/medline/citation/3608664/Effects_of_maternal_absence_due_to_employment_on_the_quality_of_infant_mother_attachment_in_a_low_risk_sample_ DB - PRIME DP - Unbound Medicine ER -