About the association between attachment and temperament at the age of 6 months.
OBJECTIVE
This study investigates the association between the mother-child attachment (0.6 years) and the child;s temperament at that age. A significant correlation of secure attachment and easy children as well as of insecure ambivalent/avoidant attachment and difficult children was expected.


METHODS
105 healthy children, aged 0.5-0.8 months, were assessed by a semi-structured interview, based on Axis II (Zero to Three, 1994), and the guidelines of Thomas et al. (1968). Data were compared by correlation analysis and Mann-Whitney U-Test.


RESULTS
Ambivalent attachment is highly associated with "difficult" and "slow to warm up" temperament. There is almost no association between secure attachment and easy children. Avoidance does not seem to be associated with temperament factors.


CONCLUSIONS
Insecure attached children seem to show temperament disorders and vice versa. This circular process can be stopped by attachment improving programs: improving the attachment may make children "easy". Secure attachment may not stand for easy children. Altogether, attachment and temperament are two separate behavior conducts, that are only poorly associated.
Niederhofer
Helmut
H
Department of Child- and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Hospital of Psychiatry, Anichstrasse 35, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria, helmut.niederhofer@uibk.ac.at.
Reiter
Alfons
A