This study examined how adult attachment, maternal self-efficacy, and current hostility influence caregiving dysregulation in mothers. It hypothesized that secure adult attachment and high maternal self-efficacy would be associated with greater caregiving ability, while high hostility would relate to poorer caregiving. One hundred thirty-two mothers completed questionnaires assessing their own attachment history, self-efficacy, hostility, and caregiving behaviors with infants aged 3 to 36 months. The results could help interrupt intergenerational cycles of dysregulated caregiving and promote secure attachment between mothers and infants.

1. Adult Attachment, Maternal Self-
Efficacy, and Current Hostility
Influences on
Caregiving Dysregulation
Elizabeth Walker
Mills College, Infant Mental Health Master Candidate
May 2, 2015

2. Purpose of Study
Examine contributions of mothers’
Adult Attachment
Caregiving representations
Maternal Self-Efficacy
 Able caregiver
Current Hostility
With infant
On maternal caregiving regulation

3. Background
Attachment
System
Infant
Development
Attachment &
Development =
Intergenerational
• Evolutionarily based
• Dependent on infant’s
cues & mothers’
responses
• Promotes survival &
protection of infant
• Dependent on mothers’
response to attachment
needs:
• Proximity & Sensitivity
• Model of care mothers
received influences the
current mother-infant
dyad relationship

4. Hope to Care
and Protect
Non Random
Behaviors
Foundation = Parental
Expectations and the
Parent-Child
Relationship
Goal = Protection,
Influence
Adult Attachment
Representation,
Competence, and
Hostility
Caregiving System

5. Hope to Care
and Protect
Behaviors Fail
Support Infant
The foundation
formed is of mothers
struggling to maintain
psychological control
and provided
protection =
Infant unprotected
Dysregulated Caregiving

6. When mothers are not caring or protecting their
children their caregiving is defined as
dysregulated
 Mothers unable to provide infant with secure
base (foundation for exploring) or haven of
safety (go to when alarmed)
 Mothers abdicate care of the infant or
surrender the role as “strong & wiser” in the
dyad
 Mothers have fear & uses defensive
processes (either fearful/intrusive to infant or
fearful of the infant)
 Defensive processes can be intergenerational
due to the model of care the infant received
Dysregulated Caregiving

7. Influences on Caregiving
Protective Capacity

8. Adult Attachment
In this Study- Examined Mothers’
Representations of early attachment
relationship with own mother, life experiences,
& relationships (Solomon & George, 2011)
Current abilities to think about their
relationship experiences
If experiences were of failed protection own
mother then could have less felt security &
dysregulated current caregiving

9. Maternal Self-Efficacy
In this study- Examined Mothers’
Belief in ability to respond to infant / lead to
desired outcome
Posses knowledge of infant daily care & able
to execute actions
Built on dyad interaction
Include self esteem / PLUS, behaviors to
meet challenging situations

10. Maternal Hostility
 Mothers’ increases in maternal hostility follow
their infant’s increases in mobility, autonomy,
and oppositional behavior (Pierce, Boivion,
Frenette, Forget-Dubois, & Tremblay, 2010)
 Has been associated with low maternal self-
efficacy when their child is in infancy
 Is transactional = higher rates of maternal
hostility are likely to be reciprocated by infants
and elicit increased hostile responses
 May be caused by the mothers’ inability to
recognize the normality of their infant’s
development

11. Maternal Hostility
In this study- Examined Mothers’

12. Study Hypotheses

13. Hypothesis One: Adult
Attachment
a) Mothers’ reported experience with their
own mother or primary caregiver as
available and protective will be directly
related to their capacity to protect their
child.
b) Mothers’ overall state of mind about
childhood attachment as protective will be
directly related to their capacity to protect
their child.
c) Mothers’ reported experiences of
attachment trauma will be inversely
related to their ability to protect their child.

14. Hypothesis Two: Maternal Self-
Efficacy
a) Maternal self-efficacy will be related to
caregiving behavior
-There will be an inverse relation
between mothers’ evaluation of self-
efficacy and caregiving helplessness

15. Hypothesis Three: Maternal
Hostility
a) Mothers’ hostility toward their infants
will be inversely related to her capacity
to protect her child.
-There will be a direct relation
between high levels of hostility and
caregiving helplessness

16. Methods
• 132 mothers
• Infants ages 3 to
36 months
Participants
• Completion of
surveyProcedure

17. Methods
Demographic
Questionnaire
(researcher & advisor)
Questions regarding age, ethnicity,
income, birthing experience,
marriage status, & attachment
trauma life event experiences
Example Questions:
-“Did you ever experience a loss through death? If
so, please indicate relation of deceased and amount
of time passed”
- “My parent was depressed” (yes or no)
- “My parent was alcohol dependent” (yes or no)

18. Methods
Reciprocal
Attachment
Questionnaire
(West, Sheldon-Keller, &
Reiffer, 1987)
Focuses on characteristics and
behavioral qualities related to a the
mothers’ attachment to own mother or
mother figure
Assess 5 dimensions of attachment
(proximity seeking, separation protest,
feared loss, perceived availability, & use
of their mother)
Example Questions:
“I turned to my attachment figure for many things,
including comfort and assurance”
“I worried my attachment figure would let me down”
“I was afraid that I would lose my attachment figure’s
love”

19. Methods
Maternal Self-
Efficacy Scale
(Teti & Gelfand, 1991)
Focuses on maternal self-efficacy with
questions specific to situational and
domain areas regarding infant care &
overall efficacy as a mother
Example Questions:
- “When your baby is upset, fussy, or crying, how good
are you at soothing him or her?”
- “How good do you feel you are at feeding, changing,
and bathing your baby?”

20. Methods
Current
Maternal Hostility
(Pierce, et al., 2010)
Subset of Parental Cognitions and
Conduct Toward the Infant Scale
Assess maternal hostility-reactive
parenting
Example Questions:
- “I have been angry with my baby”
- “I have raised my voice with or shouted at my baby”
- “I have spanked my baby when she or he was
particularity fussy”

21. Methods
Helpless Caregiving
Questionnaire
(George & Solomon, 2011)
Screens for disorganized caregiving
through 3 subscales including mother
helplessness, mother-child frightened, and
child caregiving
Example Questions:
- “When I am with my child, I often feel out of control”
- “Sometimes my child acts as if he/she is afraid of me”
- “My child is always trying to make others laugh”

22. Analysis

23. Implications for Infant
Mental Health
Disorganized caregiving is a
generational feed-back loop that begins in
infancy &
is at risk to continue on to the next generation
due to lack of fresh understanding in the
mother’s perception of caregiving
This study contributes to understanding the
processes associated with dysregulated
caregiving
which will help:
 Interrupt intergenerational cycles
 Promoted regulated caregiving for the next
generation
 Minimize distress to children and mothers

24. Regulated Mothers Regulated Caregiving Organized
Infants