The relation of attachment security with maternal responsiveness and child’s socioemotional competence : using the attachment Q-Set with a Turkish preschool sample

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the concurrent associations among maternal responsiveness, child’s attachment security, effortful control, and social competence and to investigate the utility and validity of the Attachment Q-Set (AQS) in laboratory settings. Seventy-six Turkish preschool-aged children, their mothers, and preschool teachers participated in the study. By using hierarchical regression analysis, maternal responsiveness was found to predict AQS scores of preschoolers, even when the effortful control was controlled for. Furthermore, maternal responsiveness mediated the relationship between attachment security and effortful control. Contrary to our predictions and assumptions of the theory, there was not a significant link between attachment security and socioemotional adjustment ratings of mothers (CBCL) as well as preschool teachers (ERC, SCBE-30). Nevertheless, there was an interactive role of child's effortful control and attachment security on socioemotional adjustment outcomes. Contrary to our expectations, children with higher effortful control and higher scores on the AQS were rated by their teachers as having more lability/negativity and anxiety-withdrawal problems. Finally, the AQS system was found to be a valid and useful instrument for laboratory assessments of attachment security. Findings were discussed through a cross-cultural framework.