TY - JOUR
T1 - Children’s secure base script knowledge as a mediator between early life stress and later behavior problems
AU - Ruiz, Sarah K.
AU - Waters, Theodore E.A.
AU - Yates, Tuppett M.
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by the National Science Foundation Developmental and Learning Sciences [0951775];National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship [00039202]. This study was supported by grants from the National Science Foundation Award Number (ID 00039202) to the first author, and National Science Foundation Developmental and Learning Sciences (ID 0951775) to the third author. Portions of this work were presented at the 2017 Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, Austin, Texas. The authors are grateful for the support and contributions of the research team who assisted with the collection of these data. We further extend our deepest appreciation to the families who shared their time and experience with us.
Funding Information:
This study was supported by grants from the National Science Foundation Award Number (ID 00039202) to the first author, and National Science Foundation Developmental and Learning Sciences (ID 0951775) to the third author. Portions of this work were presented at the 2017 Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, Austin, Texas. The authors are grateful for the support and contributions of the research team who assisted with the collection of these data. We further extend our deepest appreciation to the families who shared their time and experience with us.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
PY - 2020/11/1
Y1 - 2020/11/1
N2 - Attachment theory posits that children’s interactions with caregivers contribute to internalized representations that reflects the common and recurring elements of sensitive caregiving interactions (i.e. the secure base script). These internalized representations are theorized to influence later adaptation, including the development of psychopathology. Given prior research suggesting that stress exposure may undermine secure base script knowledge (SBSK), this study evaluated SBSK development in early childhood as a mechanism by which childhood stress exposure may influence later adaptation. We hypothesized that children’s (N = 230; M age = 73.30 months, SD = 2.51, 50% girls; 45.7% Latinx) stress exposure would be associated with lower levels of SBSK at age 6, which, in turn, would contribute to increased internalizing and externalizing symptoms at age 8. SBSK emerged as a significant mechanism by which early life stress may contribute to later externalizing, but not internalizing, child behavior problems. These findings highlight the role of SBSK as a profitable focus for both risk identification and intervention efforts aimed at reducing behavioral maladaptation among stress-exposed children.
AB - Attachment theory posits that children’s interactions with caregivers contribute to internalized representations that reflects the common and recurring elements of sensitive caregiving interactions (i.e. the secure base script). These internalized representations are theorized to influence later adaptation, including the development of psychopathology. Given prior research suggesting that stress exposure may undermine secure base script knowledge (SBSK), this study evaluated SBSK development in early childhood as a mechanism by which childhood stress exposure may influence later adaptation. We hypothesized that children’s (N = 230; M age = 73.30 months, SD = 2.51, 50% girls; 45.7% Latinx) stress exposure would be associated with lower levels of SBSK at age 6, which, in turn, would contribute to increased internalizing and externalizing symptoms at age 8. SBSK emerged as a significant mechanism by which early life stress may contribute to later externalizing, but not internalizing, child behavior problems. These findings highlight the role of SBSK as a profitable focus for both risk identification and intervention efforts aimed at reducing behavioral maladaptation among stress-exposed children.
KW - Attachment
KW - behavior problems
KW - psychopathology
KW - secure base script
KW - stress
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U2 - 10.1080/14616734.2019.1672079
DO - 10.1080/14616734.2019.1672079
M3 - Article
C2 - 31583957
AN - SCOPUS:85074340007
SN - 1461-6734
VL - 22
SP - 627
EP - 642
JO - Attachment and Human Development
JF - Attachment and Human Development
IS - 6
ER -