Comparative study of attachment styles in mothers of 8 to 12 year-old children with and without behavioral problems

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 M.Sc. in clinical psychology, Department of sciences and researches, Islamic Azad University, Branch of Shahrood

2 Ph.D. in clinical psychology of child and adolescent, Assistant professor of Payam-e-Nour University, Branch of Mashhad

3 Assistant professor of clinical psychology, Semnan University

Abstract

Introduction: As the major attachment figures, mothers have an undeniable effect on behavioral development of children. The present study aims to investigate the relationship between attachment styles in mothers of 8 to 12 year-old children with and without behavioral problems.
Materials and Methods: The samples of this causal-comparative study included 120 mothers of male and female elementary school students in schools of Neishabour (2013-14). Cluster sampling and random sampling methods were used for mothers of children with and without behavioral problems respectively. The study instruments included the Rutter'sBehavior Scale for children and the Revised Adult Attachment Scale (RAAS) for mothers. Data were analyzed using SPSS 18, by independent samples t-test, and logistic regression.
Results: There is a significant difference between anxious and secure attachment styles in mothers of children with and without behavioral problems (P=0.0001 and P=0.001 respectively). However, there is no significant difference between avoidant attachment style in mothers of children with and without behavioral problems (P=0.138). The results of regression analysis also show that anxious and secure attachment styles can be considered as predictors of behavioral problems in children.
Conclusion: The findings of the present study corroborate the attachment theory and show the importance of mother-child interaction. Mothers’ secure and insecure attachment styles can be an important predictor for behavioral problems in their children. 

Keywords

References

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Fundamentals of Mental Health
Volume 17, Issue 1 - Serial Number 1
January and February 2015
Pages 31-37

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