Filipa Silva

Preschool children's mental representations of attachment: antecedents in their secure base behaviors and maternal attachment scripts

This study examined the antecedents of preschool age childrens mental representations of attachment, assessed using the Attachment Story Completion Task (ASCT). Antecedent predictors were maternal attachment scripts, assessed using the Attachment Script Assessment (ASA), and the childs secure base behaviors, assessed using the Attachment Q-Set (AQS). Participants were 121 mothers and their preschool children assessed in three samples (Portuguese sample, n = 31; US Midwestern sample, n = 38; US Southeastern sample, n = 52). AQS and ASA assessments were completed approximately 1.5 years before the ASCT data were collected. No cross-sample contrasts for the attachment variables were significant. Correlations and structural equation modeling (SEM) indicated that the three attachment measures were significantly associated and that both maternal secure base script knowledge and childrens secure base behaviors (AQS) were uniquely and significantly associated with childrens mental representations of attachment (ASCT). A test of the indirect effect between maternal scripts and child representations through childrens secure base behaviors was not significant.

Singularidades de género nas representações de vinculação durante o período pré-escolar

Visando identificar diferencas individuais no modo como as criancas encenam uma variedade de situacoes relacionadas com a vinculacao, o Attachment Story Completion Task-ASCT (Bretherton. Ridgeway, & Cassidy, 1990) tem sido utilizado em diferentes culturas, tanto com amostras clinicas como normativas, sendo uma das metodologias de narrativas mais utilizadas durante o periodo pre-escolar. Todavia, um ponto problematico da sua utilizacao prende-se com o facto de alguns estudos reportarem especificidades ao nivel dos perfis narrativos evidenciados por meninos e meninas o que, do ponto de vista da Teoria da Vinculacao, nao seria de esperar. O ASCT foi aplicado a 252 criancas em idade pre-escolar (M=62; DP= 15,1) tendo as narrativas sido analisadas atraves de uma escala continua de seguranca. Nao foi encontrada nenhuma relacao significativa entre a seguranca das narrativas e o Q.I. verbal dos participantes. Nas respostas ao ASCT verificou-se uma diferenca em funcao do genero [F(1, 253)=11,8, p<0,01], com as historias produzidas pelas raparigas, em media, a receberem pontuacoes mais elevadas na dimensao seguranca. Varias hipoteses teoricas sao exploradas para explicar os perfis encontrados e, partindo da ideia avancada por Oppenheim (1997) de que a aplicacao deste tipo de metodologias representa uma situacao indutora de ansiedade para a crianca, e dado destaque a tese evolutiva proposta por Taylor et al. (2000) que afirma existir divergencias ao nivel das estrategias de regulacao emocional tendencialmente adoptadas pelos dois sexos em situacoes de stress e de conforto interpessoal.

A segurança dos modelos internos e o conhecimento emocional nas crianças de idade pré-escolar

O objectivo deste estudo foi verificar se a seguranca das representacoes mentais da relacao de vinculacao das criancas se correlaciona com um maior conhecimento das emocoes, na idade do pre-escolar. Participaram 176 criancas do distrito de Lisboa, com idades entre os 3 e 5 anos. Utilizou-se a escala continua de seguranca do Attachment Story Completion Task e a adaptacao portuguesa do Affect Knowledge Test. Os resultados sugerem que as criancas com modelos internos seguros apresentam um maior conhecimento das emocoes, nao havendo influencia da capacidade verbal. Este estudo sugere que criancas com modelos internos seguros experienciam relacoes mais calorosas com os seus cuidadores, nas quais e possivel partilharem e discutirem experiencias emocionais de forma aberta e suportada permitindo que estas apresentem um maior conhecimento emocional.

The internal working models analyzed using the narrative assessment of adult attachment representations

This study analyzed the internal working models of 89 mothers of preschool age children, using the Narrative Assessment of Adult Attachment Representations (Waters & Rodrigues-Doolabh, 2004). The goals were to test the internal and discriminant validity of the instrument, as well as the stylistic aspects of the narratives produced by the participants. The narratives were collected during individual interviews, transcribed and then coded by 2 to 3 researchers without previous knowledge of these families. Results confi rm the validity of the instrument; and show that mothers have knowledge and access to the secure base script to construct their narratives.This study analyzed the internal working models of 89 mothers of preschool age children, using the Narrative Assessment of Adult Attachment Representations (Waters & Rodrigues-Doolabh, 2004). The goals were to test the internal and discriminant validity of the instrument, as well as the stylistic aspects of the narratives produced by the participants. The narratives were collected during individual interviews, transcribed and then coded by 2 to 3 researchers without previous knowledge of these families. Results confi rm the validity of the instrument; and show that mothers have knowledge and access to the secure base script to construct their narratives.

Los modelos internos dinámicos analizados mediante las narrativas de representación de apego en adultos

This study analyzed the internal working models of 89 mothers of preschool age children, using the Narrative Assessment of Adult Attachment Representations (Waters & Rodrigues-Doolabh, 2004). The goals were to test the internal and discriminant validity of the instrument, as well as the stylistic aspects of the narratives produced by the participants. The narratives were collected during individual interviews, transcribed and then coded by 2 to 3 researchers without previous knowledge of these families. Results confi rm the validity of the instrument; and show that mothers have knowledge and access to the secure base script to construct their narratives.This study analyzed the internal working models of 89 mothers of preschool age children, using the Narrative Assessment of Adult Attachment Representations (Waters & Rodrigues-Doolabh, 2004). The goals were to test the internal and discriminant validity of the instrument, as well as the stylistic aspects of the narratives produced by the participants. The narratives were collected during individual interviews, transcribed and then coded by 2 to 3 researchers without previous knowledge of these families. Results confi rm the validity of the instrument; and show that mothers have knowledge and access to the secure base script to construct their narratives.

Os Modelos Internos Dinâmicos Analisados com Recurso às Narrativas de Representação da Vinculação em Adultos

This study analyzed the internal working models of 89 mothers of preschool age children, using the Narrative Assessment of Adult Attachment Representations (Waters & Rodrigues-Doolabh, 2004). The goals were to test the internal and discriminant validity of the instrument, as well as the stylistic aspects of the narratives produced by the participants. The narratives were collected during individual interviews, transcribed and then coded by 2 to 3 researchers without previous knowledge of these families. Results confi rm the validity of the instrument; and show that mothers have knowledge and access to the secure base script to construct their narratives.This study analyzed the internal working models of 89 mothers of preschool age children, using the Narrative Assessment of Adult Attachment Representations (Waters & Rodrigues-Doolabh, 2004). The goals were to test the internal and discriminant validity of the instrument, as well as the stylistic aspects of the narratives produced by the participants. The narratives were collected during individual interviews, transcribed and then coded by 2 to 3 researchers without previous knowledge of these families. Results confi rm the validity of the instrument; and show that mothers have knowledge and access to the secure base script to construct their narratives.