Marital conflict, maternal care and preschoolers' attachment security in low -income Mexican -American families

Olga Alicia Carbonell, Purdue University

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate and clarify the associations among global marital conflict and three of its specific domains (inter-parental childrearing disagreements, verbal, and physical aggression from husband towards wife), quality of maternal care, and preschoolers' child-mother attachment security in a low-income, first generation, and non-clinical Mexican-American sample of 44 families with their preschool child. Marital conflict information was gathered from maternal and paternal reports. Maternal care and attachment security were collected from home and park observations of child and mother behavior. Furthermore, quality of maternal care was explored as a potential mediator between marital conflict and child attachment security. Results showed none significant associations between marital conflict and its three dimensions reported by mother and child-mother attachment security. Nor were there significant relationships between global marital conflict, and father childrearing disagreement reported by father and child-mother attachment security. Findings demonstrated a marginally significant association between mother's global marital conflict, and quality of maternal care. This study provides evidence of a significant and concurrent association between maternal care and child attachment security during early childhood. The finding gives empirical support to the theoretical assumption that maternal care keeps having a key role in the organization and maintenance of the secure base behavior beyond infancy. In addition, the association between maternal care and preschool children attachment security, in the Mexican-American sample, supports the hypothesis of the link between maternal care and attachment security in other ethnic and socio-economic groups other than white-American and/or middle class populations. Results do not support the mediator role of quality of maternal care between mothers' marital conflict and child attachment security. Finally, the study shows the relevance of being methodologically aware of cultural differences regarding methods of data collection. Limitations of the study, research future directions, and social implications for practice and policy are discussed.

Degree

Ph.D.

Advisors

Posada, Purdue University.

Subject Area

Developmental psychology|Individual & family studies|Hispanic American studies

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