CHILDRENS ATTACHMENT REPRESENTATIONS - LONGITUDINAL RELATIONS TO SCHOOL BEHAVIOR AND ACADEMIC COMPETENCE IN MIDDLE CHILDHOOD AND ADOLESCENCE

A longitudinal study examined children's (N = 108) attachment represen tations in relation to behavior and academic competency at school duri ng middle childhood and adolescence. Attachment representations were a ssessed from children's responses to a separation story at age 7 years . At ages 9, 12, and 15, teachers rated children on four dimensions of school behavior: attention-participation, extroversion, disruptive be havior, and insecurity about self. Children's grade point average (GPA ) in school was also examined. Children's attachment representations ( secure vs. insecure) did not predict either disruptive behavior or ext roversion, but they were significantly linked to attention-participati on, insecurity about self, and GPA, with secure representations being associated with more favorable outcomes. The study controlled for soci al class, gender IQ, perspective-taking ability, and prior competency.