The predictive relation of maternal sensitivity over time and child characteristics on early attachment

Hierarchical linear modelling was used to explore the effect of changes in maternal sensitivity on attachment over time. Child characteristics of gender, temperament, and developmental status were used as moderating factors. Data from 1,249 mothers and their children from the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development when the children were 15, 24, and 36 months of age. Results indicated that maternal sensitivity at 15 months was not predictive of attachment when conditioned on maternal sensitivity at 24 and 36 months. Mothers who were more sensitive on average were more likely to have children with secure attachments; fluctuations in individual mothers’ sensitivity did not predict her child’s attachment. Male children were more strongly affected by their mothers’ sensitivity than female children. The higher a child’s developmental status in infancy, the lower the likelihood for later insecure attachment. Implications regarding the importance of parental behaviour in toddlerhood is discussed.