Attachment and Self-regulation

Running Head: ATTACHMENT AND EMOTIONAL SEL-RE!"LATION

Attachment and emotional #elf-regulation: #ocial and neurological $ath%a&#'
ED(S-)*+
Maria Sou,,otina
"ni-er#it& of Calgar&
.
Attachment and Self-regulation
Social com$etence ha-e ,een identified a# a #ignificant contri,uting factor to
-ariou# de-elo$mental outcome# in children/ including e0ternali1ing and internali1ing
$#&cho$atholog& and academic achie-ement 23orn#tein/ Hahn 4 Ha&ne#/ 5+.+6 Ca$rara/
3ar,aranelli/ (a#torelli/ 3andura 4 7im,ardo/ 5+++6 McLaughlin/ Hat1en,uehler/
Mennin 4 Nolen-Hoe8#ema/ 5+..9' A# one of the determinant# of #ocial com$etence/
emotional #elf-regulation ha# ,een im$licated a# a $redictor of #ocial ad:u#tment and
mental health 2McDo%ell/ ;im/ O<neil 4 (ar8e/ 5++56 Southam-!ero% 4 ;endall/
5++59' Thi# $a$er aim# to e0$lore the role of attachment in emotional #elf-regulation
ac=ui#ition/ including di#cu##ion of rele-ant tenet# of attachment theor& and
neurode-elo$mental model/ a-aila,le em$irical finding#/ and ga$# in current emotional
#elf-regulation re#earch'
A# di#cu##ed ,& Southam-!ero% and ;endall 25++59 emotion regulation i# a
d&namic/ goal-oriented $roce## in-ol-ing monitoring/ e-aluating/ and modif&ing of
emotional reaction# through e0trin#ic and intrin#ic mean#' Author# em$ha#i1e that
emotion regulation #hould ,e -ie%ed a# ad:u#tment of emotional $roce##e#/ and not mere
emotional #u$$re##ion' Emotional regulation i# -ie%ed a# a $roduct of interaction among
indi-idual and en-ironmental' amil& con#titute# a #alient $art of childhood en-ironment/
con#e=uentl& caregi-ing $ractice# ha# ,een regarded a# $otential contri,uting factor to
the de-elo$ment of emotional #elf-regulation ca$acit&' amil& characteri#tic# and
$ractice#/ $redicti-e of emotional #elf-regulation de-elo$ment in children/ ha-e ,een
thoroughl& de#cri,ed ,& Morri#/ Sil8/ Stein,erg/ M&er# and Morri#on 25++>9' Among
tho#e formation of attachment ,ond i# the earlie#t $ath%a&' Attachment #ecurit&/ a
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Attachment and Self-regulation
conce$t ,a#ed on 3o%l,&<# Theor& of Attachment/ ha# long ,een u#ed a# a ro,u#t
reflection of caregi-ing =ualit&'
Attachment refer# to child<# emotional connection to adult caregi-er that i#
formed earl& in life' The =ualit& of attachment de$end# on the hi#tor& of interaction#
,et%een child and caregi-er/ #uch that rece$ti-e con#i#tent re#$on#e from caregi-er
$romote# #en#e of #ecurit& and com$etence/ and in turn $romote# e0$loration 2#ecure
attachment9' ?hen care i# lac8ing or incon#i#tent/ children e0$erience in#ecurit& and
mi#tru#t in their en-ironment 2in#ecure attachment9' (art of the learning in-ol-ed in
de-elo$ment of attachment include# e0$ectation# a,out child<# o%n #elf-regulator&
,eha-ior#/ a# children learn ho% their ,eha-ior $roduce# change in en-ironment' Tho#e
earl& interaction# and e0$ectation internali1e a# Internal ?or8ing Model/ and guide
#u,#e=uent #ocial interaction#' Theoreticall& it %ould follo% that children %ith #ecure
t&$e of attachment e0$ect that their need# %ould ,e met and learn to engage #elf-
regulator& #trategie# in antici$ation of $o#iti-e outcome6 on the other hand children %ith
in#ecure attachment %ould fail to #elf-regulate $ro$erl& 2#ee Cal8in# and Lee8er#/ 5++@6
7eanah/ 3erlin 4 3orin/ 5+.. for re-ie%9'
A num,er of em$irical #tudie# confirm the relation#hi$ ,et%een attachment
=ualit& and emotional #elf-regulator& ca$acit&' "#ing Strange Situation ta#8 a# a mea#ure
of attachment/ and com,ination of maternal rating and o,#er-ational data a# mea#ure# of
,eha-ioral and emotional regulation in a large communit& #am$le of toddler# Aondra/
Sha%/ S%earingen/ Cohen 4 O%en# 25++.9 e0$lored longitudinal relation#hi$ among
attachment #t&le/ internali1ingBe0ternali1ing ,eha-ior#/ and emotional and ,eha-ioral
#elf-regulation' Author# re$orted that $oor #elf-regulation %a# #ignificantl& related to
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Attachment and Self-regulation
in#ecure attachment $attern#6 further #elf regulation mediated relation#hi$ ,et%een
attachment #t&le and ,eha-ioral $ro,lem# in a long run' Similar re#ult# %ere re$orted for
older children %here #ecure attachment %a# related to ,etter emotional #elf-regulation
and more fre=uent u#e of con#tructi-e co$ing #trategie# in #chool #etting# 2;ern#/
A,raham/ Schlegelmilch/ 4 Morgan/ 5++>9' "#ing #tructural modeling method (anfile 4
Lai,le 25+.59 e0$lored relation#hi$ among attachment/ em$ath&/ negati-e emotionalit& and
#elf-regulation in &oung children' Con#i#tent %ith other re$ort# #ecure attachment #t&le %a#
$o#iti-el& related to emotion #elf-regulation6 further #elf-regulation/ more #o than negati-e
emotionalit&/ mediated relation#hi$ ,et%een attachment and em$ath&'
?ith recent ad-ance# in neuro#cience it i# ,ecoming increa#ingl& $o##i,le to gain an
in#ight on ho% #ocial influence# tran#late into indi-idual ,eha-ioral outcome#' 3iological
correlate# of di#ru$ted $arental caregi-ing and attachment formation ha-e ,een e0$lored
through animal model#/ %ith $arallel# dra%n to #tudie# of children %ho encountered earl&
ad-er#e e0$erience# $recluding the de-elo$ment of t&$ical attachment 2Da-id#on 4
McE-am#/ 5+.59'
Neurological $er#$ecti-e on the de-elo$ment of emotional #elf-regulation i#
com$ati,le %ith attachment theor& a# ,oth a#cri,e central role to earl& caregi-er
re#$on#i-ene##' rom neurological $er#$ecti-e/ children #ee8 $ro0imit& %ith caregi-er %hen
the& e0$erience di#tre##' Caregi-er-#ee8ing ,eha-ior# 2i'e' cr&ing9 on $h&#iological le-el are
accom$anied ,& acti-ation of H(A a0i#/ a #erie# of neurochemical reaction# in-ol-ed in
#tre## re#$on#e' Re#$on#i-e care aid# in do%n-regulating #tre## re#$on#e/ lo%ering le-el# of
#tre##-related hormone#/ #uch a# corti#ol' ?hen care i# incon#i#tent or a,#ent/ #tre## Drelated
arou#al $er#i#t#/ leading to a num,er of con#e=uence#' ir#t/ H(A a0i# regulator& mechani#m#
loo#e #en#iti-it&/ %hich in lad# to lo%er thre#hold for #tre## re#$on#e acti-ation/ a# %ell a#
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Attachment and Self-regulation
difficultie# %ith de-acti-ation of #tre## re#$on#e' Second/ higher le-el# of #tre## hormone# for
e0tended $eriod# of time affect neural de-elo$ment of other cortical area#/ including
am&gdala/ hi$$ocam$u# and $refrontal region#' On ,eha-ioral le-el tho#e neurological
change# tran#late into difficultie# %ith emotion regulation/ attention/ and memor& 2Loman 4
!unnar/ 5+.+6 Nel#on et al/ 5+.C9'
Em$irical #tudie# %ith children $ro-ide #u$$ort for the lin8 ,et%een attachment #t&le/
neurological #e=uelae de#cri,ed a,o-e/ and emotional #elf-regulation ca$acit&' or one/
children %ith #ecure attachment #t&le %ere found to ha-e lo%er corti#ol le-el in com$ari#on
to children %ith in#ecure attachment6 in#ecure children al#o %ere o,#er-ed to di#$la& more
inten#i-e le-el# of cr&ing u$on #e$aration from caregi-er/ %hich could ,e inter$reted a# le##
efficient emotional #elf-regulation 2Anhert/ !unnard/ Lam, 4 3arthel/ 5++@9' urther/
Tottenham et al 25+.+9 conducted an MRI #tud& com$aring children rai#ed in t&$ical familie#
to children rai#ed in or$hanage care' In#titutionali1ed children lac8 maternal care and are
characteri1ed ,& nota,l& high rate# of in#ecure attachment 27enah et al/ 5++*9' Children
reared in ad-er#e en-ironment %ere found to ha-e enlarged am&gdala/ and am&gdala -olume
negati-el& correlated %ith $erformance on emotional go-nogo ta#8 $ur$orted to mea#ure
emotional #elf-regulation 2Tottenham et al/ 5+.+9/ although one limitation of thi# #tud& i# the
lac8 of direct mea#ure of attachment #t&le' inall&/ inter-ention# intended to im$ro-e
caregi-er re#$on#i-ene## and $romote ac=ui#ition of #ecure attachment %ere found to re#ult
reduction in corti#ol le-el# 2Ahnert et al/ 5++@6 Do1ier/ (elo#o/ Le%i#/ Laurenceau 4 Le-ine/
5++E9'
(re#ented a,o-e i# an o-er%helming/ &et far from e0hau#ti-e/ e-idence of $rofound
im$act of #ocial factor# ma& ha-e on ,iological le-el $roce##e#' On the other hand e-idence
al#o #ugge#t# that ad-er#e effect# are mallea,le' Children e0$o#ed to ad-er#e earl& e0$erience
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Attachment and Self-regulation
are a,le to catch u$ to t&$ical de-elo$mental tra:ector& once $ro-ided ade=uate #ocial
en-ironment 2Aan IF1endoorn 4 Fuffer/ 5++)96 ade=uate earl& inter-ention $roduce#
change# on ,iological and ,eha-ioral le-el# 2Do1ier et al/ 5++E9' Due to the $rominent
role attachment and emotional #elf-regulation $la&# in #ocial/ academic/ and mental
health outcome 2McDo%el et al/ 5++56 ;im 4 Cichetti/ 5+.+6 Southam 4 ;endal/ 5++59
it i# li8el& that #cientific and clinical intere#t in thi# con#truct %ill $er#i#t' (re#ented
literature re-ie%ed literature #ugge#t# that #ocial influence# on de-elo$mental outcome# in
general/ and $ath%a& ,et%een #ocial factor#/ attachment/ #elf-regulation/ and ,eha-ioral
outcome# in $articular/ could ,e more com$rehen#i-el& -ie%ed through integration ,et%een
neurode-elo$mental and $#&cho#ocial $aradigm#' Ho%e-er ,efore future re#earch ad-ance#/
#ome limitation# need to ,e addre##ed' A# di#cu##ed ,& Cole/ Martin and Denni# 25++@9/ the
conce$t of emotional #elf-regulation i# not %ell theoreticall& and o$erationall& defined' There
i# a great -aria,ilit& among #tudie# ho% emotional #elf-regulation a##e##ed 2,eha-ioral
o,#er-ation/ caregi-er re$ort/ neuro$#&chological ta#8#/ mea#ure# of e0ternali1ing
$#&cho$atholog&/ im$ul#i-it& etc'96 #ome #tudie# focu# e0clu#i-el& on negati-e emotional
e0$re##ion/ #uch a# fru#tration and anger tolerance/ %hile other ta8e more encom$a##ing
$er#$ecti-e' Relation#hi$ and di#tinction among ,eha-ioral and emotional #elf-regulation/
attention/ and e0ecuti-e function ha# not ,een made clear' There could ,e #ome o-erla$
,et%een an emerging conce$t of #elf-regulation and neuro$#&chological con#truct of
E0ecuti-e unction 23ar8le&/ .GG>9 a# ,oth conce$tuali1ed a# d&namic ad:u#tment $roce##/
in-ol-ing emotional/ ,eha-ioral and attentional dimen#ion#/ functioning in inter$la& %ith
other cogniti-e $roce##e#' Lac8 of definitional con#en#u# im$ede# the integration of #tudie#'
Ho%e-er/ de#$ite the current limitation#/ emotional #elf-regulation $re#ent# a uni=ue
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Attachment and Self-regulation
$er#$ecti-e %ith the $otential to a##imilate #ocial and neurode-elo$mental account# of ho%
and %h& #ocial en-ironment e0ert# it# effect on de-elo$mental outcome#'
Reference:
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>
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Attachment and Self-regulation
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