Ca. Stifter et al., LINKING EMPLOYMENT TO ATTACHMENT - THE MEDIATING EFFECTS OF MATERNAL SEPARATION ANXIETY AND INTERACTIVE BEHAVIOR, Child development, 64(5), 1993, pp. 1451-1460
This study examined the effects of maternal employment and separation
anxiety on maternal interactive behavior and infant attachment. 73 mot
her-infant pairs participated in a laboratory free-play session when i
nfants were 5 and 10 months of age and in the Strange Situation when t
he infants were 18 months of age. Maternal feelings about being separa
ted from her infant were assessed by questionnaire at 5 months. Employ
ed mothers returned to work before the infants' fifth month, and nonem
ployed mothers did not work outside the home through their infants' te
nth month. Employed mothers who reported high levels of separation anx
iety were more likely to exhibit intrusive behaviors at 10 months. Whi
le employment was not directly related to attachment, we found infants
of high-anxiety employed mothers to develop anxious-avoidant attachme
nts. The results suggest that maternal separation anxiety and interact
ive style may be important mediators between employment and later infa
nt outcome.