Research
Results revealed that both mother-child and father-child attachment predicted preschoolers’ social competence. However, each attachment relationship was shown to predict a different aspect of social competence. More specifically, mother-child attachment predicted peer acceptance, and marginally social engagement/motivation. Father-child attachment, on the other hand, predicted behavioral and psychological attributes, and marginally peer acceptance. In short, both early mother-child and early father-child attachment relationships contribute to social competence in preschoolers, and each attachment relationship does so in a different way. This shows that both attachment relationships are crucial components of healthy developmental patterns, and that they both complement each other while uniquely influencing children’s behavior.
References
Balbernie, R. (2013). The importance of secure attachment for infant mental health. Journal of Health Visiting, 1(4), 210-217. DOI:10.12968/johv.2013.1.4.210
Cheche Hoover, R., & Jackson, J. B. (2021). Insecure Attachment, Emotion Dysregulation, and Psychological Aggression in Couples. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 36(19–20), NP10908–NP10936. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260519877939
Fernandes, C., Monteiro, L., Santos, A. J., Fernandes, M., Antunes, M., Vaughn, B. E., & Veríssimo M. (2020). Early father–child and mother–child attachment relationships: contributions to preschoolers’ social competence. Attachment & Human Development, 22(6), 687-704, DOI: 10.1080/14616734.2019.1692045
Lee, A., & Hankin, B. L. (2009). Insecure attachment, dysfunctional attitudes, and low self-esteem predicting prospective symptoms of depression and anxiety during adolescence. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 38(2), 219–231. https://doi.org/10.1080/15374410802698396
Waters, E., & Sroufe, L. A. (1983). Social Competence as a Developmental Construct. Developmental Review, 3(1), 79-97. DOI:10.1016/0273-2297(83)90010-2