A secure base from which to regulate: Attachment security in toddlerhood as a predictor of executive functioning at school entry
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Developmental psychology ; vol. 51, no. 9, pp. 1177-1189.Abstract(s)
In light of emerging evidence suggesting that the affective quality of
parent-child relationships may relate to individual differences in young
children's executive functioning (EF) skills, the aim of this study was to
investigate the prospective associations between attachment security in
toddlerhood and children's EF skills in kindergarten. Mother-child dyads (N =
105) participated in 2 toddlerhood visits in their homes, when children were 15
months and 2 years of age. Mother-child attachment security was assessed with the
Attachment Q-Sort during both these visits. When children were in kindergarten
(ages 5-6), they were administered a battery of EF tasks, and their teachers
completed the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function to assess
children's EF problems. The results indicated that kindergarteners who were more
securely attached to their mothers in toddlerhood showed better performance on
all EF tasks, and were considered by their teachers to present fewer EF problems
in everyday school situations. These results held above family socioeconomic
status (SES) and child age, sex, and general cognitive functioning. The fact that
early attachment security uniquely predicted both teacher reports and children's
objective EF task performance suggests that parent-child attachment may be a
promising factor to consider in the continuing search for the social antecedents
of young children's EF.
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