Parental beliefs, infant temperament, and marital quality: Associations with infant–mother and infant–father attachment.

The present research examined parental beliefs about the importance of the paternal caregiving role, mothers’ and fathers’ reports of infant temperament, and observed marital quality as predictors of infant–mother and infant–father attachment security, over and above the effects of parental sensitivity. Infants’ attachment security to mothers and fathers were observed in the Strange Situation at 12 and 13 months, respectively (N = 62 two-parent families). Hierarchical regression models revealed that mothers who viewed the paternal caregiving role as important were less likely to have securely attached infants, but only when infant fussiness was high. In addition, fathers who viewed the paternal caregiving role as important were more likely to have securely attached infants, but only when infants’ fussiness or marital quality was high. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

How Latino American and European American adolescents discuss conflicts, sexuality, and AIDS with their mothers.

The authors examined how the structure of mother–adolescent conversations differs by ethnic group, age, and dyadic and individual factors. Mother–adolescent dyads of European or Latino descent participated in conversations and reported on their relationship and AIDS knowledge. Latina American mothers dominated conversations more than European American mothers, independent of socioeconomic status. Mothers dominated conversations about sexuality and AIDS more than conversations about conflicts. Mothers of older adolescents reacted more negatively, and older adolescents reported less satisfaction, less openness, and more sexual discussions with persons other than their mothers. Latino American adolescents whose mothers dominated conversations more reported fewer sexual discussions. Latina American mothers who dominated conversations more reported more openness and satisfaction. When mothers dominated conversations more, adolescents had lower AIDS knowledge. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Low-income, nonresident father involvement with their toddlers: Variation by fathers' race and ethnicity.

Using data from a racially and ethnically diverse sample of low-income mothers of 2-year-old children participating in the Early Head Start Research and Evaluation Project (N = 883), the authors examined fathers' education and employment, mother-father relationship, and mothers' relationships with kin in the household to explain variation in nonresident father involvement across racial and ethnic groups. Nonresident White fathers were less involved with their children than were African American and Latino fathers. This difference was explained by the status of mother-father relationships. White nonresident fathers were less likely than minority nonresident fathers to maintain romantic relationships with their child's mother. Mothers in the White father group were also more likely to re-partner, which negatively related to biological fathers' involvement. These findings suggest that approaches to strengthen nonresident father involvement in children's lives need to consider how father ethnicity and mother-father relations are associated with differential patterns of father involvement. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Substance use among Asian American adolescents: Influence of race, ethnicity, and acculturation in the context of key risk and protective factors.

This study examines the relative influence of race/ethnicity, acculturation, peer substance use, and academic achievement on adolescent substance use among different Asian American ethnic groups and U.S. racial/ethnic groups. Data from the Wave 1 in-home sample of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health was used to examine lifetime use of alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana in a full adolescent sample of all racial/ethnic groups (N = 20,745) and a subsample of Asian American adolescents (N = 1,248). Path analysis examined the hypothesized relationships of peer substance use and acculturation as risk factors and academic achievement as a protective factor for racial/ethnic groups. The results indicated that when Asian American adolescents were compared to other major U.S. racial/ethnic groups, peer use and acculturation were both significant mediators of smoking, drinking, and marijuana use, and academic achievement mediated each type of use at a trend level. For Asian American ethnic groups, peer use is a risk factor and, to a lesser extent, academic achievement is a protective factor for substance use. Also, although acculturation is a predictor of substance use, when peer use and academic achievement are taken into account, acculturation—like ethnicity—no longer predicts use. Mediation analyses indicated that peer substance use mediates smoking, drinking, and marijuana use; academic achievement does not; and acculturation mediates substance use for some substances and some Asian American ethnic groups. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for understanding how culturally specific approaches can inform preventive interventions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Mother and father connectedness and involvement during early adolescence.

The purpose of the current study was to explore how mother’s and father’s connectedness and involvement individually and collectively influence the lives of their children. Specifically, we asked how fathers’ and mothers’ parent–child connectedness and behavioral involvement influenced both problem behaviors (externalizing and internalizing behaviors) and positive outcomes (prosocial behaviors and hope) during early adolescence. Data for this study were taken from the Flourishing Families Project, from which 349 mothers and fathers were selected, along with their early adolescent child (mean age = 11.23 years, SD = .96). Hierarchical regression analyses revealed (even after controlling for child age, gender, and self-regulation) that mothers’ and fathers’ contributions differed, primarily as a function of child outcome. Namely, father (but not mother) connectedness and involvement were negatively related to adolescents’ internalizing and externalizing behaviors, whereas mother (but not father) connectedness and involvement were positively related to adolescents’ prosocial behaviors and hope. We also found that when one parent’s involvement was low (for whatever reason), the other parent’s involvement made a significant and important contribution to the child’s well-being, particularly in the area of internalizing behaviors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Attachment style as a predictor of adult romantic relationships.

Questionnaire measures of attachment style, attachment history, beliefs about relationships, self-esteem, limerence, loving, love addiction, and love styles were administered to 374 undergraduates. Attachment style was related in theoretically expected ways to attachment history and to beliefs about relationships. Securely attached Ss reported relatively positive perceptions of their early family relationships. Avoidant Ss were most likely to report childhood separation from their mother and to express mistrust of others. Anxious-ambivalent subjects were less likely than avoidant Ss to see their father as supportive, and they reported a lack of independence and a desire for deep commitment in relationships. The self-esteem measure and each of the scales measuring forms of love were factor analyzed separately. Analyses based on scale scores derived from the resulting factors indicated that attachment style was also strongly related to self-esteem and to the various forms of love discussed in other theoretical frameworks. The results suggest that attachment theory offers a useful perspective on adult love relationships. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

American = White?

Six studies investigated the extent to which American ethnic groups (African, Asian, and White) are associated with the category "American." Although strong explicit commitments to egalitarian principles were expressed in Study 1, Studies 2-6 consistently revealed that both African and Asian Americans as groups are less associated with the national category "American" than are White Americans. Under some circumstances, a dissociation between mean levels of explicit beliefs and implicit responses emerged such that an ethnic minority was explicitly regarded to be more American than were White Americans, but implicit measures showed the reverse pattern (Studies 3 and 4). In addition, Asian American participants themselves showed the American = White effect, although African Americans did not (Study 5). The American = White association was positively correlated with the strength of national identity in White Americans. Together, these studies provide evidence that to be American is implicitly synonymous with being White. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

In the Eye of the Beholder: Subjective and Observer Ratings of Middle-Class African American Mother-Adolescent Interactions.

Middle-class African American mothers and adolescents (n=81) participated in a dyadic interaction task in early adolescence (M=13.06 years, SD=1.27) and then again 2 years later (M=15.01 years, SD=1.27). Following the task, mothers and adolescents rated their own and their partner's support and involvement in the task; observers rated videotaped interactions for the same dimensions. African American mothers perceived adolescents' behavior in the interactions more positively than did observers, and both mothers and observers viewed mothers' behavior as more positive than adolescents' behavior. With observers' ratings controlled, early adolescents' more negative perceptions of their mothers' interactions led to less trust and communication with mothers 2 years later, but subjective understanding did not influence later ratings of conflict intensity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A test of the social development model during the transition to junior high with Mexican American adolescents.

Mexican American adolescents have higher rates of externalizing problems than their peers from other ethnic and racial groups. To begin the process of understanding factors related to externalizing problems in this population, this study used the social development model (SDM) and prospective data across the transition to junior high school from 750 diverse Mexican American families. In addition, the authors examined whether familism values provided a protective effect for relations within the model. Results showed that the SDM worked well for this sample. As expected, association with deviant peers was the primary predictor of externalizing behaviors. There was support for a protective effect in that adolescents with higher familism values had slower rates of increase in association with deviant peers from 5th to 7th grades than those with lower familism values. Future research needs to determine whether additional culturally appropriate modifications of the SDM would increase its usefulness for Mexican American adolescents. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Process and outcome evaluation of an on-line support group for Asian American male college students.

This study examined the process, outcome, and utilization patterns of an on-line support group (OSG) for Asian American male college students. Outcome measures indicated that the group participants felt supported, perceived the discussion topics as relevant, felt comfortable and connected to other group members, and preferred using aliases instead of their real identities. The discourse contained a high proportion of self-disclosure and provision of information, and more than half of the messages (58%) were responses to messages of other group members. These findings suggest that many of the components of group process theorized to be essential for effective groups can take place in OSGs. There were no significant posttest differences between the OSG (n?=?16) and control group (n?=?16) in ethnic identity or collective self-esteem. Implications of these findings for improving mental health and counseling services for culturally diverse populations are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Behavioral correlates of peer exclusion and victimization of East Asian American and European American young adolescents.

The present study examined behavioral correlates of peer exclusion and victimization among sixth-grade European and East Asian American young adolescents, with an emphasis on aggressive and socially withdrawn behaviors. Concurrent and short-term longitudinal (over 1 academic year) associations between behavior and the distinct forms of peer adversity (victimization/exclusion) were assessed. Results varied by gender and ethnicity and suggested that social withdrawal was associated with exclusion, whereas aggression was associated with victimization. Interactions between gender and aggression predicted peer victimization after controlling for prior victimization. Extremely aggressive girls were more likely to be victimized than nonaggressive girls. Interactions between gender, ethnicity, and behavior predicted exclusion, controlling for prior exclusion. Extremely withdrawn European American girls were less excluded than nonwithdrawn European American girls. Universals emerged in the prediction of exclusion from withdrawal for all other groups and from aggression for all four groups. These results highlight the importance of considering ethnicity and gender in the links between different behaviors and the distinct forms of peer adversity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Family Processes Within Three-Generation Households and Adolescent Mothers' Satisfaction With Father Involvement.

This investigation used a family systems perspective to examine how family dynamics within 3-generation households were associated with mothers' satisfaction with father involvement. The participants were low-income African American adolescent mothers (n=148) and grandmothers recruited at delivery and followed over 6 months. The overall model explained 68% of the variance in satisfaction with father involvement. Fathers who were involved with caregiving activities had positive relationships with adolescent mothers and grandmothers. Grandmothers served as gatekeepers; when grandmothers reported positive relationships with the 2 young parents, adolescent mothers reported positive relationships with their male partners. Mothers who reported positive partner relationships also reported high parenting efficacy and satisfaction with father involvement. Efforts to increase paternal involvement should focus on role clarification for grandmothers and fathers and on parenting activities for mothers and fathers, regardless of their romantic relationship. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sexual risk among African American girls: Psychopathology and mother–daughter relationships.

Objective: To examine the associations among mental health problems, maternal monitoring and permissiveness, mother–daughter communication and attachment, and sexual behaviors among African American girls receiving outpatient psychiatric care. Youths with mental health problems report higher rates of HIV-risk behavior than do their peers, and African American girls have higher rates of sexually transmitted infections than do girls of all other racial groups. Method: A sample of 12- to 16-year-old African American girls (N = 266, mean age = 14.46 years) and their female caregivers (73% biological mothers) completed computerized assessments of girls' mental health symptoms, maternal monitoring and permissiveness, and mother–daughter communication and attachment. Girls indicated their sexual risk behaviors (vaginal/anal sex, consistent condom use, number of partners). Results: African American girls who reported clinically significant externalizing problems, more permissive parenting, less open mother–daughter sexual communication, and more frequent mother–daughter communication were more likely to report having had vaginal and/or anal sex. Sexually active girls with greater maternal attachment were less likely to report inconsistent condom use. Conclusions: Findings revealed important risk and protective factors for African American girls in psychiatric care. HIV-prevention programs may be strengthened by improving mother–daughter relationships and communication and by reducing girls' mental health problems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

The prevalence of perceived discrimination among African American and Caribbean Black youth.

The present study examined ethnic, gender, and age differences in perceived discrimination and the association between perceived discrimination and psychological well-being in a nationally representative sample of Black adolescents. Data are from the National Survey of African Life (NSAL), which includes 810 African American and 360 Caribbean Black youth. Results indicate that the majority of Black youth perceived at least 1 discriminatory incident in the previous year. Adolescents at later stages of development perceived more discrimination than those at earlier stages, and African American and Caribbean Black males perceived more discrimination than their female counterparts. Perceptions of discrimination were positively linked to depressive symptoms and were negatively linked to self-esteem and life satisfaction, regardless of ethnicity. However, Caribbean Black youth appear to be more vulnerable when they perceive high levels of discrimination. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Mother– and father–infant attachment: Families in context.

This study examined associations among family type (single-earner vs. dual-earner families of sons and daughters), parent sensitivity, marital adjustment, infant emotionality, infant–mother attachment, and infant–father attachment. Participants included 77 families who were observed in the laboratory at 4, 12, and 13 months. Similar to several previous studies, results indicated that boys from dual-earner families were more likely to have insecure attachments with their fathers but not with their mothers. In addition, fathers of sons in dual-earner households were less sensitive at 4 months and reported less affection in their marriages than did fathers in several other groups; sons were more negatively emotional toward mothers whereas infants in dual-earner families were more negatively emotional toward fathers during still-face at 4 months. Finally, family type moderated the effect that maternal sensitivity had on infant–mother attachment and the effect that infant negative emotionality had on infant–father attachment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Adolescent mothering: child-grandmother attachment

This study explored the involvement of maternal grandmothers with children of adolescent mothers and child-grandmother attachment. In a sample of 32 children whose grandmothers were involved in child care, 44% were securely attached to mothers and 72% securely attached to grandmothers. Of the 18 children insecurely attached to mothers, 82.4% were securely attached to grandmothers. A significant relationship existed between attachment security and the time the child was with grandmother, sleeping time excluded. In contrast, time with mother was not related. Based on attachment theory, findings are presented and implications for nursing practice are made.     

How do people with different attachment styles balance work and family? A personality perspective on work–family linkage.

This study explored whether different models of work–family relationship were possible for individuals with different attachment styles. A mail survey was conducted using employees (N?=?481) at a midwestern university in the United States. Results suggested that (a) individuals with a preoccupied attachment pattern were more likely to experience negative spillover from the family/home to the work domain than those with a secure or dismissing style, (b) securely attached individuals experienced positive spillover in both work and family domains more than those in the other groups, and (c) preoccupied individuals were much less likely to use a segmentation strategy than the other 3 attachment groups. However, when the conventional job satisfaction–life satisfaction relationship was examined, the data provided unique support for the spillover model. Implications of the findings for both attachment and work–family relationship literatures are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relations Between Children's Attachments to Their Mothers and to Security Blankets.

Are attachments to security objects and mothers related? Do children securely and insecurely attached to mothers use security blankets differently? Following the Strange Situation procedure (M. D. S. Ainsworth, M. C. Blehar, E. Waters, & S. Wall, 1978), 67 toddlers were left alone in a novel playroom with a stranger and their blanket. Although being blanket attached was unrelated to their security of attachment to mothers, avoidantly and securely attached children adjusted differently depending on their blanket attachments. Blanket-attached children also classified as avoidantly attached to mothers remained longer than did blanket-nonattached maternally avoidant, blanket-attached maternally secure, and blanket- blanketnonattached maternally secure children. Blanket-attached, maternally avoidant children may nonattached have relied on blankets as support to allay distress during separation. Availability of security blankets produces different adaptations to maternal separations among avoidantly and securely attached children. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

La perception de la relation père-enfant et l'adaptation des enfants suite au dévoilement d'une agression sexuelle.

The present study explores the link between the father–child relationship and outcomes following child sexual abuse disclosure cases. Seventy-nine children completed measures evaluating perceived attachment security to mother and father (Kerns Security Scale; Kerns, Klepac, & Cole, 1996), as well as the child's internalised and externalised behaviour problems (Dominic Interactif; Valla, Bergeron, St-Georges, & Berthiaume, 2000), and self-esteem (Self-Perception Profile for Children; Harter, 1985) after the disclosure of the sexual abuse. Results indicated that perceived attachment security to the father figure is not correlated with perceived attachment security to the mother. A series of hierarchical multiple regression revealed that perception of paternal attachment security added to the prediction of internalised and externalised (marginal) behaviours over and above perceived attachment security to the mother. Results are discussed in terms of implications for intervention with sexually abused children. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Q-sort assessment of attachment security during the preschool years: Links from home to school.

This study investigated relations among preschoolers' secure-base behavior with mother at home, stressful family conditions, and qualities of developing relationships with peers and teachers in preschool. Preschool-age children (N?=?94; 51 boys and 43 girls) and their mothers were observed during multiple home visits, and their security of attachment was assessed with the Attachment Q-Set. Children in families with lower levels of stress had more secure attachment relationships with mothers. Both boys and girls who were less securely attached to their mothers expressed significantly more anger-aggression in preschool. For boys, higher levels of family stress were also significantly related to anger-aggression and to social competence in preschool. In addition. boys who were more securely attached to their mothers were more securely attached to their preschool teachers and were more popular with peers in preschool. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)