The significance of mothers’ attachment representations for vagal responding during interactions with infants

ABSTRACT

Little is known about the significance of mothers’ attachment for neurobiological responding during interactions with infants. To address this gap, this study examined links between mothers’ (N = 139) attachment representations and dynamic change in respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) while interacting with infants in the Still-Face Procedure (SFP). Mothers higher on secure base script knowledge (SBSK) exhibited greater RSA reactivity during the SFP characterized by lower RSA during normal play, higher RSA during the still-face, and lower RSA during reunion. Findings indicate that mothers higher on SBSK exhibit RSA responding expected to support active behavioral coping during normal play and reunion – consistent with the need to engage infants in social interaction – and RSA responding during the still-face expected to support efforts to calm the body and empathize with their infant during this distressing social disruption. Findings advance knowledge of the significance of adult attachment for the neurobiology of caregiving.

KEYWORDS:

• Adult attachment
• secure base script
• autonomic physiology
• respiratory sinus arrhythmia
• infant distress

Acknowledgment

We gratefully acknowledge funding for this research provided by the University of Missouri Research Board.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed https://doi.org/10.1080/14616734.2021.1876615.