ANTENATAL DETERMINANTS OF PARENTAL ATTACHMENT AND PARENTING ALLIANCE: HOW DO MOTHERS AND FATHERS DIFFER?
Parental (parent-to-infant) attachment and parenting alliance are defined as two important components of psychoaffective adjustment to the parental role. This study aimed to build a predictive model of parental attachment and parenting alliance for mothers and fathers using partial least squares-structural equation modeling. Specifically, we were interested in assessing how adult romantic attachment, marital quality, and psychological distress influenced parental attachment (parent-to-infant) and parenting alliance. Forty heterosexual couples completed questionnaires during the third trimester of pregnancy and 2 months after childbirth. Results showed that adult romantic attachment, marital quality, and psychological distress were important antenatal determinants of parental attachment and parenting alliance, although they behaved differently for mothers and fathers. Hence, different predictive models were therefore proposed for mothers and fathers. Mothers' attachment to the child was influenced by internal factors as adult attachment dimensions; for fathers, it also depended on mothers' antenatal attachment to the child and on marital quality. Concerning parenting alliance, both mothers and fathers depended on own and partner's variables. Antenatal variables are important for what occurs during the transition to parenthood in terms of parenting adjustment and act differently for mothers and fathers. It thus is important to assess the psychological functioning of both mothers and fathers.
Université de Lorraine and Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire, Nancy, France.
Rita
R
Luz
Université de Lorraine, Nancy, France.
Astrid
A
George
Université de Lorraine, Nancy, France, and Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire and Université de Franche-Comté, Besançon, France.
Rachel
R
Vieux
Université de Lorraine, Nancy, France.
Elisabeth
E
Spitz
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety; D001362:Avoidance Learning; D005220:Fathers / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D009769:Object Attachment; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011581:Psychological Tests; D057566:Self Report; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D055815:Young Adult
Elternallianz; Elternschaft; Paarbeziehungen Erwachsener; Qualität der Ehe; adult romantic attachment; afectividad romántica entre adultos; alianza de crianza; alliance de parentage; ansiedad sicológica; attachement parental; attachement romantique adulte; calidad de la relación marital; détresse psychologique; elterliche Bindung; la afectividad del progenitor; marital quality; maternidad o paternidad; parentage; parental attachment; parenthood; parenting alliance; psychische Belastung; psychological distress; qualité conjugale; 婚姻の質; 婚姻素質; 心理困擾; 心理的苦痛; 成人の恋愛の愛着; 成人浪漫依附; 父母依附; 父母身份; 育兒聯盟; 親になること (であること); 親の同盟; 親の愛着