EARNED-SECURITY AND CONTINUOUS-SECURITY IN ADULT ATTACHMENT - RELATION TO DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMATOLOGY AND PARENTING STYLE

The secure working model classification of adult attachment, as derive d from Main and Goldwyn's (in press) Adult Attachment Interview scorin g system, was considered in terms of earned-security and continuous-se curity. Earned-security was a classification given to adults who descr ibed difficult, early relationships with parents, but who also had cur rent secure working models as indicated by high coherency scores; cont inuous-security referred to a classification in which individuals desc ribed secure early attachment relationship with parents and current se cure working models. Working models of attachment were classified as e arned-secure, continuous-secure, or insecure in a sample of 40 parents of preschool children. Comparisons among the classifications were con ducted on a measure of depressive symptoms and two sets of ratings of observed parenting styles. Adults with earned-secure classifications h ad comparable depressive symptomatology to insecures, with 30% of the insecures, 40% of the earned-secures, and only 10% of the continuous-s ecures having scores exceeding the clinical cut-off. The rate of depre ssive symptomatology in the earned-secure group suggests that reconstr uctions of past difficulties may remain emotional liabilities despite a current secure working model. With regard to parenting styles with t heir preschoolers, the behavior of earned-secure parents was comparabl e to that of the continuous-secures. This refinement in conceptualizin g secure working models suggests ways for understanding variation in p athways to competent parenting as well as a possible perspective on ho w adults' adverse early experiences may continue to place them and the ir children at risk.