Child security, caregiving behavior and representations: Links to maternal secure base scripts

Abstract

An individual’s representation of attachment can be measured using the Attachment Script Assessment. These scripts are (1) learned from experience, (2) stable across time and context, and (3) guides for behavior (Waters & Roisman, 2019). Following the principle of intergenerational transmission of attachment, literature has established the connection between mothers’ secure base script knowledge and children’s attachment security. However, little work has studied how parents’ secure base scripts may predict outcomes distal from security. The present study investigated the relation between mothers’ secure base script knowledge and children’s attachment security, as well as children’s caregiving scripts and behaviors, while also considering the impact of mothers’ supportive and unsupportive responses to child distress. Although none of the hypotheses was supported, the current study found a link between mother’s secure base script knowledge and her parenting behavior. We discuss potential explanations for the unexpected findings and outline directions for future research examining the role of mothers’ secure base script knowledge on child outcomes.