Maternal Expressed Emotion Related to Attachment Disorganization in Early Childhood: A Preliminary Report

• Published in: Journal of child psychology and psychiatry 2000-10, Vol.41 (7), p.899-906
• Main Authors: Jacobsen, Teresa, Hibbs, Euthymia, Ziegenhain, Ute
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Affectivity. Emotion; Age Factors; attachment disorganization; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child Development; Child psychology; Children & youth; Depression - psychology; Emotions; Expressed Emotion; Expressed emotions; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Germany; Humans; Infant; Life Change Events; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Maternal attachment; Maternal Behavior - psychology; mother-child attachment quality; Mother-Child Relations; Mothers; Object Attachment; Personality. Affectivity; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Security; Young children
• ISSN: 0021-9630; 1469-7610
• DOI: 10.1111/1469-7610.00677

Using a longitudinal sample of children, this study examined the relation between maternal Expressed Emotion (EE) and mother–child attachment disorganization at age 6 years. A nonclinical sample of 33 children (at ages 12 months and 18 months) from Berlin, Germany participated with their mothers in Ainsworth's Strange Situation. Thirty-two children were again observed with their mothers at age 6 years in a standard laboratory attachment observation. At the time of the 6-year assessment, maternal EE was assessed based on a Five-Minute Speech Sample. Mothers also completed the Life Events Questionnaire, a measure of family stress, and the Present State Examination, a measure of maternal depression. Maternal Expressed Emotion was significantly linked to mother–child attachment security at age 6 years. Further analyses revealed that High EE was most closely linked to the disorganized attachment pattern at age 6 years, an at-risk attachment pattern that has been associated with intrusive and hostile maternal behavior. The relationship was upheld when other relevant variables, including infant attachment disorganization and a measure of perceived family stress, were simultaneously considered. The study provides independent validation of Expressed Emotion as a measure of relationship quality in early childhood. It also provides a basis for the further investigation of the nature of the relation between maternal Expressed Emotion and attachment disorganization.