MENTAL REPRESENTATIONS OF ATTACHMENT AMONG PROSPECTIVE AUSTRALIAN FATHERS

Research into security or otherwise of infant attachment and its corre lates is well established. Research into adult internal representation s of attachment is still in its infancy. This emergent area of investi gation is facilitated by a new measurement instrument, the Adult Attac hment Interview (AAI). This paper presents the first Australian report of the distribution of adult attachment classifications in a group of 62 men, prior to the transition to parenthood. Using the AAI, 35.4% o f these men were classified as secure. This proportion is congruent wi th those reported by other investigators. Validity of the AAI is discu ssed and some theoretical questions related to the findings are raised .