THE EFFECTS OF INFANT CHILD-CARE ON INFANT-MOTHER ATTACHMENT SECURITY- RESULTS OF THE NICHD STUDY OF EARLY CHILD-CARE

The aims of this investigation were to determine whether Strange Situa tion attachment classifications were equally valid for infants with an d without extensive child-care experience in the first year of life an d whether early child-care experience, alone or in combination with mo ther/child factors, was associated with attachment security, and speci fically with insecure-avoidant attachment. Participants were 1,153 inf ants and their mothers at the 10 sites of the NICHD Study of Early Chi ld Care. Mothers were interviewed, given questionnaires, and observed in play and in the home when their infants were from 1 to 15 months of age; infants were observed in child care at 6 and 15 months and in th e Strange Situation at 15 months. Infants with extensive child-care ex perience did not differ from infants without child care in the distres s they exhibited during separations from mother in the Strange Situati on or in the confidence with which trained coders assisted them attach ment classifications. There were no significant main effects of child- care experience (quality, amount, age of entry, stability, or type of care) on attachment security or avoidance. There were, however, signif icant main effects of maternal sensitivity and responsiveness. Signifi cant interaction effects revealed that infants were less likely to be secure when low maternal sensitivity/responsiveness was combined with poor quality child care, more than minimal amounts of child care, or m ore than one care arrangement. In addition, boys experiencing many hou rs in care and girls in minimal amounts of care were somewhat less lik ely to he securely attached.