title: On the relation between maternal state of mind and sensitivity in the prediction of infant attachment security.
abstract: Attachment theorists assume that maternal mental representations influence responsivity, which influences infant attachment security. However, primary studies do not support this mediation model. The authors tested mediation using 2 mother-infant samples and found no evidence of mediation. Therefore, the authors explored sensitivity as a moderator, studying the (a) interaction of mental representation and sensitivity as it predicts infant attachment security and (b) level of sensitivity in mothers whose infants' attachment security is either concordant or discordant with their own. The interactional analyses were not significant. But the match-mismatch data showed that when mother-infant attachment strategies were discordant, maternal sensitivity was more consistent with infant than maternal attachment strategy. These findings are congruent with an interpretation of sensitivity as a moderator that can block transmission of attachment strategy.
authors.affiliation: Child, Youth, and Family Program, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.
authors.forename: Leslie
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-1265-3298
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Atkinson
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto.
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Goldberg
authors.affiliation: Graduate Program in Psychology, University of Windsor.
authors.forename: Vaishali
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Raval
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pederson
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto.
authors.forename: Diane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Benoit
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario.
authors.forename: Greg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Moran
authors.affiliation: Child, Youth, and Family Program, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.
authors.forename: Lori
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Poulton
authors.affiliation: Psychiatry Research and Integrative Biology, The Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children.
authors.forename: Natalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Myhal
authors.affiliation: Psychiatry Research and Integrative Biology, The Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zwiers
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario.
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gleason
authors.affiliation: Child, Youth, and Family Program, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.
authors.forename: Eman
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Leung
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001290:Attitude; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D018730:Infant Behavior; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D009034:Mother-Child Relations