title: Maternal caregiving and infant security in two cultures.
abstract: Attachment theory proposes that early care plays a key role in the emergence and organization of secure-base behavior across a wide range of cultures and contexts. Most studies on the topic have been conducted with Caucasian North American and European samples. Research needs to address questions concerning the cross-cultural generality of the sensitivity-security link, the appropriateness of the conceptualization of caregiving offered by attachment theory in other cultures, and the identification of caregiving domains other than those proposed by the theory. The authors address these issues in a study of maternal care and infant security in 2 different countries. Q descriptions of maternal behavior were obtained from observations at home. Infant security was assessed in a laboratory environment in Denver, Colorado and in the home environment in Bogota, Colombia. Findings are discussed in terms of the generality of the sensitivity-security link, the appropriateness of the model of caregiving suggested by attachment theory in both countries, and the relevance of other domains of caregiving to security.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child Development and Family Studies, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907-1267, USA. posadag@purdue.edu
authors.forename: German
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Posada
authors.forename: Amanda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jacobs
authors.forename: Melissa K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Richmond
authors.forename: Olga A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Carbonell
authors.forename: Gloria
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Alzate
authors.forename: Maria R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Bustamante
authors.forename: Julio
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Quiceno
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003469:Culture; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D016487:Parenting; D012449:Safety; D012931:Social Environment