LE3 .A278 2021

2021

Symons, Doug

Acadia University

Master of Science

Masters

Psychology

Psychology

The present study examined the relations between adult attachment styles and caregiver sensitivity, and how they in turn relate to caregiver attitudes using a simulated parenting task. Participants were 172 undergraduate students who completed measures of adult attachment styles and recollected caregiver sensitivity before and after raising a virtual child from birth to 19 years of age, completing assignments along the way. Following the virtual child task, participants completed three attachment-informed measures of caregiver attitudes towards the child. As expected, individuals with greater attachment anxiety and avoidance were found to have less positive attitudes toward the virtual child. However, it was only attachment-related avoidance that negatively and uniquely predicted perceived child security and willingness to serve as an attachment figure for their virtual child, even after controlling for their grade on assignments. Additionally,participants’ recollected caregiver sensitivity was found to be inversely related to measures of attachment insecurity and positively related to measures of caregiver attitudes. However, although related, sensitivity did not account for variance above and beyond that of attachment-related avoidance. In sum, these results provide further evidence for the role of attachment avoidance in the prediction of negative caregiver attitudes, with the opposite pattern displayed by caregiver sensitivity. These results offer support for the use of simulations when examining attachment relationships and parenting attitudes.

The author retains copyright in this thesis. Any substantial copying or any other actions that exceed fair dealing or other exceptions in the Copyright Act require the permission of the author.

https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:3627