TY - JOUR
T1 - The mediating role of child-teacher dependency in the association between early mother-child attachment and behavior problems in middle childhood
AU - Neuhaus, Robin
AU - McCormick, Meghan
AU - O’Connor, Erin
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - This study examines child-teacher dependency in preschool as a pathway through which mother-child attachment is associated with children’s behavior problems across middle childhood. Data include direct assessments of attachment security and styles, teacher reports of child-teacher dependency, and maternal reports of behavior problems from the NICHD SECCYD (N = 769 children). Children with more secure attachments at 24 months were less likely to exhibit child-teacher dependency at 54 months. Children with ambivalent, controlling, or insecure/other attachments at 36 months had higher levels of child-teacher dependency at 54 months. Results from multi-level models showed that child-teacher dependency at 54 months was associated with higher levels of internalizing, but not externalizing, behavior problems across middle childhood. Child-teacher dependency partially mediated the association between insecure/other mother-child attachment and internalizing behaviors in middle childhood. Supporting preschool teachers to reduce child-teacher dependency may help ameliorate risk for internalizing behaviors posed by insecure/other attachment.
AB - This study examines child-teacher dependency in preschool as a pathway through which mother-child attachment is associated with children’s behavior problems across middle childhood. Data include direct assessments of attachment security and styles, teacher reports of child-teacher dependency, and maternal reports of behavior problems from the NICHD SECCYD (N = 769 children). Children with more secure attachments at 24 months were less likely to exhibit child-teacher dependency at 54 months. Children with ambivalent, controlling, or insecure/other attachments at 36 months had higher levels of child-teacher dependency at 54 months. Results from multi-level models showed that child-teacher dependency at 54 months was associated with higher levels of internalizing, but not externalizing, behavior problems across middle childhood. Child-teacher dependency partially mediated the association between insecure/other mother-child attachment and internalizing behaviors in middle childhood. Supporting preschool teachers to reduce child-teacher dependency may help ameliorate risk for internalizing behaviors posed by insecure/other attachment.
KW - Teacher-child relationships
KW - attachment
KW - dependency
KW - externalizing behavior
KW - internalizing behavior
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85084093109&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85084093109&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/14616734.2020.1751989
DO - 10.1080/14616734.2020.1751989
M3 - Article
C2 - 32301379
AN - SCOPUS:85084093109
SN - 1461-6734
VL - 23
SP - 523
EP - 539
JO - Attachment and Human Development
JF - Attachment and Human Development
IS - 5
ER -