Cooke, J. E., Kochendorfer, L. B., Stuart-Parrigon, K. L., Koehn, A. J., & Kerns, K. A. (2019).Parent–child attachment and children’s experience and regulation of emotion: A meta-analytic review.Emotion, 19(6), 1103.
Rationale
While narrative reviews describe links between attachment and emotion (Brumariu, 2015; Parrigon et al., 2015), few meta-analyses have quantitatively summarized this literature (Cooke et al., 2016; Groh et al., 2017).
This meta-analytic review examined how parent-child attachment security and insecurity distinctly related to children’s affective experiences andemotion regulationto provide clarity on these associations.
Method
The totalNacross meta-analyses ranged from 87 to 9,167. Studies included behavioral, representational, and self-report attachment measures. Emotion was assessed via questionnaire, observation, or responses to emotion-eliciting tasks.
Statistical Analysis
Effect sizes(Pearson’s r) were aggregated. Moderator analyses examined the impact of method factors. Publication bias was assessed and corrected for using Duval and Tweedie’s (2000) trim-and-fill procedure.
Results
Insight
This meta-analysis indicates attachment security acts as a protective factor for emotional functioning, whereas attachment insecurity confers risk for affective and regulatory difficulties.
There appear to be some distinctive emotional correlates of avoidant, ambivalent, and disorganized attachment.
Strengths
Limitations
Clinical Implications
Attachment theory and longitudinal research suggest that early attachment experiences play a formative role in socioemotional development across childhood (Thompson, 2016).
Ifattachment styleis actually causing differences in children’s affect, emotion regulation, and coping, then interventions designed to alter attachment security could lead to improvements in children’s emotional functioning.
There are attachment-based interventions focused on improving parental sensitivity and responsiveness that have shown success in helping children develop more secure attachments (Bakermans-Kranenburg, van IJzendoorn, & Juffer, 2003).
However, the results also showed some distinct emotion correlates for avoidant, ambivalent, and disorganized attachment. Rather than a one-size-fits-all approach, this suggests different insecure attachment styles may need tailored intervention plans targeting the specific area of socioemotional weakness (Zeanah & Zeanah, 2019).
For instance, ambivalently attached kids may need help managing negative reactivity, whereas avoidantly attached kids may benefit more from support in expressing emotion and seeking help from others.
Identifying the child’s attachment pattern can inform what specificemotion regulation skillsto prioritize teaching (Cassidy, Woodhouse, Sherman, Stupica, & Lejuez, 2011).
References
Primary reference
Cooke, J. E., Kochendorfer, L. B., Stuart-Parrigon, K. L., Koehn, A. J., & Kerns, K. A. (2019). Parent–child attachment and children’s experience and regulation of emotion: A meta-analytic review.Emotion, 19(6), 1103.
Other references
Bakermans-Kranenburg, M. J., van IJzendoorn, M. H., & Juffer, F. (2003). Less is more: Meta-analyses of sensitivity and attachment interventions in early childhood.Psychological Bulletin, 129(2), 195–215.https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.129.2.195
Brumariu, L. E. (2015). Parent-child attachment and emotion regulation. In G. Bosman & K. A. Kerns (Eds.),Attachment in middle childhood: Theoretical advances and new directions in an emerging field(pp. 31-45). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Cassidy, J., Woodhouse, S. S., Sherman, L. J., Stupica, B., & Lejuez, C. W. (2011). Enhancing infant attachment security: An examination of treatment efficacy and differential susceptibility.Development and Psychopathology, 23(1), 131–148.https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579410000696
Cooke, J. E., Stuart-Parrigon, K. L., Movahed-Abtahi, M., Koehn, A. J., & Kerns, K. A. (2016). Children’s emotion understanding and mother–child attachment: A meta-analysis.Emotion, 16(8), 1102–1106.https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0000221
Duval, S. & Tweedie, R. (2000). Trim and fill: A simple funnel-plot–based method of testing and adjusting for publication bias in meta-analysis.Biometrics, 56(2), 455-463.https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0006-341x.2000.00455.x
Groh, A. M., Narayan, A. J., Bakermans-Kranenburg, M. J., Roisman, G. I., Vaughn, B. E., Fearon, R. P., & van IJzendoorn, M. H. (2017). Attachment and temperament in the early life course: A meta-analytic review.Child Development, 88(3), 770–795.https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12677
Parrigon, K. S., Kerns, K. A., Abtahi, M. M., & Koehn, A. J. (2015). Attachment and emotion in middle childhood and adolescence.Psihologijske Teme, 24(1), 27-50.
Steele, H., & Steele, M. (2018).Handbook of attachment-based interventions. Guilford Publications.
Thompson, R. A. (2016). Early attachment and later development: Reframing the questions. In J. Cassidy & P. R. Shaver (Eds.),Handbook of Attachment: Theory, Research, and Clinical Applications(pp. 330–348). The Guilford Press.
Zeanah, C. H., & Zeanah, P. D. (2019). Attachment disorders in early childhood: Clinical presentations, causes, correlates, and treatment.Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 60(3), 207–222.https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.12973
Olivia Guy-Evans, MSc
BSc (Hons) Psychology, MSc Psychology of Education
Olivia Guy-Evans is a writer and associate editor for Simply Psychology. She has previously worked in healthcare and educational sectors.
Saul McLeod, PhD
BSc (Hons) Psychology, MRes, PhD, University of Manchester
Saul McLeod, PhD., is a qualified psychology teacher with over 18 years of experience in further and higher education. He has been published in peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Clinical Psychology.
