Distinct cascades for secure and insecure infants from early anger dysregulation to mothers' and fathers' power-assertive control at toddler age to externalizing outcomes at preschool age: a replication.

BACKGROUND

Bowlby's concept of attachment as a biobehavioral proximity-regulating system providing infants with confidence in protection and support for exploration has been expanded to include early security's legacy for socialization processes. We report a continued programmatic effort to replicate our model of security as a potent catalyst moderating common maladaptive longitudinal cascades from early child difficulty to increased parental power assertion to externalizing developmental outcomes. We elucidate the multifinality of sequelae that can unfold from early child difficulty. Our moderated mediation model proposes that such cascades occur only in parent-child dyads with histories of insecure attachment in infancy; early security buffers those risks.

METHODS

Children and Parents Study (CAPS) included 200 community mothers, fathers, and children from the U.S. Midwest. At 16 months (N = 194, 93 girls), we observed children's early difficulty (anger dysregulation) and security with each parent in the Strange Situation Paradigm. At 38 months (age 3, N = 175, 86 girls), we observed parents' power-assertive control. At 52 months (age 4.5, N = 177, 86 girls), we observed children's poor self-regulation and violations of conduct rules and obtained parents' reports of children's disruptive behavior.

RESULTS

For mothers and children, the indirect effects of early anger dysregulation at 16 months on all three outcomes at age 4.5, mediated via increased power assertion at age 3, were present only in insecure dyads, as reflected in significant moderated mediation. Comprehensive analysis that integrated all three outcomes further supported the robust moderating effect of early security for the entire developmental path from anger dysregulation to power assertion to child outcomes, and for each segment of that path. There were no findings for fathers.

CONCLUSIONS

We discuss the critical importance - and challenges - of replicating models of complex longitudinal cascades when elucidating multifinality throughthe lens unique to developmental psychology and psychopathology.