Family Processes and Children's Attachment at Age 6: Examining Marital Functioning and Parenting

Previous studies have supported parental responsiveness and warmth as important predictors in the development of children's attachment. Less research has examined the impact of marital processes on attachment; however, support for marital quality and conflict have been linked to attachment in infancy and toddlerhood. The current study investigated the relationships between dimensions of marital functioning, parenting and kindergarten-age children's attachment relationships with mother and father. Attachment was assessed using a modified strange situation procedure (Main & Cassidy, 1988). Analyses indicated specific behaviors exhibited during marital conflict, such as anger, were related to attachment while global aspects of marital satisfaction and conflict were not supported. While analyses did not support a relationship between parents' warmth and attachment, parents' non-supportive responses to children's emotional distress were related to children's attachment relationships. Structural equation modeling results support marital functioning and parenting's relationship with children's avoidance within their attachment relationships in middle childhood.