Representational models of relationships: Links between caregiving and attachment

Abstract

According to attachment theory, the child's attachment behavioral system is complemented by a reciprocal caregiving system in the parent. Going beyond current descriptions of caregiving as a set of discrete parental behaviors and attitudes that are related to attachment, we have sought to describe caregiving as a behavioral system that is organized in its own right. Examination interviews of 32 mothers of 6-year-old children, we found a significant correspondence between maternal internal working models of caregiving on the dimensions of secure base, rejection, uncertainty, and helplessness and their children's attachment classification. A significant concordance between caregiving classification and adult attachment classification and between adult attachment classification and child attachment classification was also found. The relation between child attachment, adult attachment, and the caregiving system is discussed.