title: Infant attachment disorganization and moderation pathways to level and change in externalizing behavior during preschool ages.
abstract: This research examined the child, parent, and family conditions under which attachment disorganization was related to both level and change in externalizing behavior during preschool among a community sample. Using the ordinary least squares regression, we found that attachment disorganization at 12 months significantly predicted children's externalizing behavior at 36 months and this prediction was not contingent on any other factors tested. For predicting changes in externalizing behavior from 36 to 60 months, we found a significant main effect of family cumulative risk and an interaction effect between attachment disorganization at 12 months and maternal sensitivity at 24 months. Specifically, high disorganization was related to a significant decrease in externalizing behavior from 36 to 60 months when maternal sensitivity at 24 months was high. Our main-effect findings replicated the significant effect of attachment disorganization and cumulative risk on externalizing behavior with preschool-aged children. Our interaction finding provided support for understanding the parenting conditions under which infant attachment disorganization may be related to change in externalizing behavior during preschool ages. Implications of the findings were discussed.
authors.affiliation: a Anita Zucker Center for Excellence in Early Childhood Studies , University of Florida (UF) , Gainesville , FL , USA.
authors.forename: Feihong
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: b Education and Workforce Development , RTI International , Research Triangle Park, NC , USA.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Willoughby
authors.affiliation: c Department of Human Development and Family Studies, School of Health and Human Sciences , University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNC-G) , Greensboro , NC , USA.
authors.forename: Roger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mills-Koonce
authors.affiliation: d Department of Psychology , University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH) , Chapel Hill , NC , USA.
authors.forename: Martha J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Cox
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008425:Maternal Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D009034:Mother-Child Relations / Q000523:psychology*; D009769:Object Attachment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
keywords: Attachment disorganization; cumulative risks; externalizing behavior; maternal sensitivity; moderation effect