Parenting and preschooler attachment among low-income urban African American families

This study examined the parental correlates of child attachment in a presch ool-aged, economically disadvantaged, urban, African American sample. Sixty -nine 4- to 5-year-olds and their primary caregivers participated in the St range Situation assessment procedure. Based on Cassidy and Marvin's classif ication system for pre-schoolers, 61% of the children were classified as se curely attached, with girls being significantly more likely to be securely attached than boys (74% versus 45%). The majority of the insecure attachmen ts were of the avoidant variety. Consistent with attachment theory, parents of securely attached children were rated as significantly more warm and ac cepting and less controlling with their children than were parents of insec urely attached preschoolers. Relative to parents of securely attached presc hoolers, parents of children judged to be insecurely attached reported bein g more likely to use corporal punishment and less Likely to use verbal remi nders when their children misbehaved. Parenting was associated with attachm ent over and above the effects of child sex.