State Attachment Variability: Between- and within-Person Level Associations with Trait Attachment and Psychological Problems
Research suggests that inter-individual differences in the degree of state attachment variability are related to differences in trait attachment and psychological problems between children. In this study, we tested whether such associations are also relevant at a within-person level, and if so, whet...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-09-01
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| Series: | Brain Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/11/10/1264 |
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| author | Martine W. F. T. Verhees Eva Ceulemans Marian J. Bakermans-Kranenburg Guy Bosmans |
| author_facet | Martine W. F. T. Verhees Eva Ceulemans Marian J. Bakermans-Kranenburg Guy Bosmans |
| author_sort | Martine W. F. T. Verhees |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Research suggests that inter-individual differences in the degree of state attachment variability are related to differences in trait attachment and psychological problems between children. In this study, we tested whether such associations are also relevant at a within-person level, and if so, whether intra-individual fluctuations in the degree of variability were predictive of or predicted by intra-individual fluctuations in trait attachment and psychological problems. Children (<i>N</i> = 152; M<sub>age</sub> = 10.41 years, SD<sub>age</sub> = 0.60 at time 1) were tested three times over a period of one year. At each timepoint, children reported on their expectations of maternal support in different distressing situations. Additionally, we administered measures of trait attachment to children and psychological problems to children and their mothers. We used Random-Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Models to distinguish between-person from within-person associations between these constructs over time. The results revealed that the degree of state attachment variability was mainly relevant to understand differences between children in trait attachment and psychological problems: children who overall showed more state attachment variability were overall less securely attached at a trait-level and reported more psychological problems. Although evidence for within-person associations was less robust, there was some indication that the degree of state attachment variability might be related to the development of trust and psychological problems at a within-person level. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T06:41:41Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a04488ce29a2479cb6bcf50443866763 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-3425 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T06:41:41Z |
| publishDate | 2021-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Brain Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-a04488ce29a2479cb6bcf504438667632023-11-22T17:36:28ZengMDPI AGBrain Sciences2076-34252021-09-011110126410.3390/brainsci11101264State Attachment Variability: Between- and within-Person Level Associations with Trait Attachment and Psychological ProblemsMartine W. F. T. Verhees0Eva Ceulemans1Marian J. Bakermans-Kranenburg2Guy Bosmans3Clinical Psychology, KU Leuven, Tiensestraat 102, 3000 Leuven, BelgiumQuantitative Psychology and Individual Differences, KU Leuven, Tiensestraat 102, 3000 Leuven, BelgiumCentre for Child and Family Studies, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Van der Boechorststraat 7, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The NetherlandsClinical Psychology, KU Leuven, Tiensestraat 102, 3000 Leuven, BelgiumResearch suggests that inter-individual differences in the degree of state attachment variability are related to differences in trait attachment and psychological problems between children. In this study, we tested whether such associations are also relevant at a within-person level, and if so, whether intra-individual fluctuations in the degree of variability were predictive of or predicted by intra-individual fluctuations in trait attachment and psychological problems. Children (<i>N</i> = 152; M<sub>age</sub> = 10.41 years, SD<sub>age</sub> = 0.60 at time 1) were tested three times over a period of one year. At each timepoint, children reported on their expectations of maternal support in different distressing situations. Additionally, we administered measures of trait attachment to children and psychological problems to children and their mothers. We used Random-Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Models to distinguish between-person from within-person associations between these constructs over time. The results revealed that the degree of state attachment variability was mainly relevant to understand differences between children in trait attachment and psychological problems: children who overall showed more state attachment variability were overall less securely attached at a trait-level and reported more psychological problems. Although evidence for within-person associations was less robust, there was some indication that the degree of state attachment variability might be related to the development of trust and psychological problems at a within-person level.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/11/10/1264attachmentintra-individual variabilitystate attachmentpsychological problemsmiddle childhood |
| spellingShingle | Martine W. F. T. Verhees Eva Ceulemans Marian J. Bakermans-Kranenburg Guy Bosmans State Attachment Variability: Between- and within-Person Level Associations with Trait Attachment and Psychological Problems Brain Sciences attachment intra-individual variability state attachment psychological problems middle childhood |
| title | State Attachment Variability: Between- and within-Person Level Associations with Trait Attachment and Psychological Problems |
| title_full | State Attachment Variability: Between- and within-Person Level Associations with Trait Attachment and Psychological Problems |
| title_fullStr | State Attachment Variability: Between- and within-Person Level Associations with Trait Attachment and Psychological Problems |
| title_full_unstemmed | State Attachment Variability: Between- and within-Person Level Associations with Trait Attachment and Psychological Problems |
| title_short | State Attachment Variability: Between- and within-Person Level Associations with Trait Attachment and Psychological Problems |
| title_sort | state attachment variability between and within person level associations with trait attachment and psychological problems |
| topic | attachment intra-individual variability state attachment psychological problems middle childhood |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/11/10/1264 |
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