Maternal perception of newborns predicts attachment organization in middle adulthood

Abstract

The goal of the present study was to examine the predictive relation between an individual's newborn status, as rated with the Neonatal Perception Inventories (NPI), and his or her adult attachment organization, as rated with the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI). All participants (N = 26) had been healthy, full-term, singleton, first-born infants whose mothers were recruited during the immediate postpartum hospital stay. The NPI were collected during home visits made when infants were 4–6 weeks old. The AAI was administered 30 to 40 years later. The study hypothesis was that adult participants whose mothers had held negative perceptions of them as newborns would be more likely to be classified as insecure on the AAI than participants whose mothers had held positive perceptions of them. The study hypothesis was supported. A 2 (positive NPI vs. negative NPI) × 2 (secure AAI vs. insecure AAI) contingency table analysis indicated a highly significant connection between newborn NPI risk status and adult AAI classification, Fisher's exact test, p < .003, odds ratio = 18. As expected, negative maternal perception at 1-month old was associated with subsequent insecure adult attachment status.

Keywords:

• maternal perception
• attachment
• Neonatal Perception Inventories
• Adult Attachment Interview
• longitudinal studies

Acknowledgements

The Pittsburgh First-Born Project is a research program that has spanned more than 40 years, and we are grateful to the many people who have contributed in important ways. Alba Ruckert's valuable contributions have been pervasive, spanning all aspects of the research program. Ching Chun Li and Charles Stegman provided continuing statistical consultation throughout the course of the longitudinal study. Others who have made substantial contributions include Evelyn Atreya, Chester Berschling, Marilyn Bushey, Katherine Cone, Cleon Cornes, Nancy Curry, Deborah Dickey, Karen Fullerton, Margaret Gillick, Ruth Gumerman, Linda Haller, Miriam Hartner, Marita Kenna, Fredricka Latshaw, Margaret McFarland, Mary Meldrum, Geraldine Rensko, Judith Rubin, Lois Saladin, Lawrence Staab, Claudia Titelman, Linda White, Robin Woods, and Lucy Zabarenko.

Since 1963, the Pittsburgh First-Born Project has been supported by state, local, and federal government agencies, private donations, the University of Pittsburgh, and the following foundations: Buhl, Staunton-Farm, Claude Benedum, Howard Heinz, Vira Heinz, Pittsburgh Child Guidance, De-Luxe Check Printers, Amelia Miles, Pittsburgh National Bank Trust, and Stylette Plastics. Without their assistance this work would not have been possible. Finally, we are also particularly grateful to the families who participated in the research: for their willingness to donate their time, energy, thoughts, feelings, and lives. The experience of learning about their lives has added meaning to our own.

Notes

1. Psychosocial disorder was assessed differently at different time-points, as a function of the developmental level of the child, and, at each time-point, the measure used was considered a “state of the art” clinical assessment. Assessments were conducted by two to four reliable child psychiatrists or psychoanalytically trained clinicians who had not previously seen the child and who were blind to NPI placement and to information from previous assessments. Assessments were based on a structured observation in the laboratory, and on interviews with teachers and parents. At age 4½, the classification proposed by the GAP Committee on Child Psychiatry was used (Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry, Committee on Child Psychiatry, 1966); at later ages, clinicians constructed diagnostic profiles using Anna Freud's Metapsychological Profile (Freud, 1965), as well as a 4-point Probability of Emotional Disorder scale adapted from Leighton's psychiatric categories (Leighton, Harding, Macklin, Hughes, & Leighton, 1963). Children considered to be free from psychosocial disorder were characterized by developmentally appropriate and positive psychological functioning (e.g., flexible adaptation to environmental challenges, good coping skills, resilience, healthy emotion regulation capacities, confidence) and positive, flexible, and cooperative interactions with others.