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Cited by 503Attachment and Relationship DynamicsChild Welfare and AdoptionPsychoanalysis and Psychopathology Research

Attachment for infants in foster care: The role of caregiver state of mind

Dozier, Mary, Stoval, K Chase, Albus, Kathleen E, Bates, Brady·2001·Child Development
DOI 10.1111/1467-8624.00360
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Abstract

The concordance between foster mothers' attachment state of mind and foster infants' attachment quality was examined for 50 foster mother – infant dyads. Babies had been placed into the care of their foster mothers between birth and 20 months of age. Attachment quality was assessed between 12 and 24 months of age, at least 3 months after the infants' placement into foster care. The two-way correspondence between maternal state of mind and infant attachment quality was 72%, κ= .43, similar to the level seen among biologically intact mother – infant dyads. Contrary to expectations, age at placement was not related to attachment quality. Rather, concordance between maternal state of mind and infant attachment was seen for relatively late-placed babies, as well as early placed babies. These findings have two major implications. First, following a disruption in care during the first year and a half of life, babies appear capable of organizing their behavior around the availability of new caregivers. Second, these data argue for a nongenetic mechanism for the intergenerational transmission of attachment.

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Crossref · 10.1111/1467-8624.00360

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37 of 37 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • Caregivers of children who have faced early adversity must provide sensitive, nurturing, and even therapeutic care for those children to form organized attachments.

    “These children’s caregivers need to provide nurturing, sensitive care, indeed even therapeutic care, if such children are to develop organized attachments (Dozier, Stovall, Albus, & Bates, 2001).”

    From Enhancing Attachment Organization Among Maltreated Children: Results of a Randomized Clinical Trial (2012) · cites this paper as Dozier, Stovall, Albus, & Bates, 2001

  • The Strange Situation has been validated for children 12 to 18 months old, with some investigations extending its use to 24 months.

    “The Strange Situation has been validated for use with children between 12 and 18 months of age (Ainsworth et al., 1978), with some investigations extending this age to 24 months (e.g., Dozier et al., 2001; Steele, Murphy, & Steele, 2010; see Cyr et al., 2010).”

    From Enhancing Attachment Organization Among Maltreated Children: Results of a Randomized Clinical Trial (2012) · cites this paper as Dozier et al., 2001

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Authors
Dozier, M., Stoval, K. C., Albus, K. E., & Bates, B.
Affiliations
  • University of Delaware (US)
  • Cornell University Medical Center , Ithaca, NY
ORCID
Dozier, Mary
Venue
Child Development
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Published
2001-09-01
Volume
72
Issue
5
Pages
1467-1477
ISSN
  • 0009-3920 (ISSN-L)
  • 1467-8624
DOI
10.1111/1467-8624.00360
OpenAlex
W2168891008
Cited by
503
References
40
Citations by year
2026: 7 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 15 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 16 · 2021: 18 · 2020: 22 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 14 · 2017: 32 · 2016: 17 · 2015: 34 · 2014: 30 · 2013: 31 · 2012: 24
FWCI
18.64
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
Locations
  • Child Development (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • Department of Social Services, Australian Government
  • National Institutes of Health
  • U.S. Public Health Service (52135)
  • National Institute of Mental Health
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
  • Social Sciences › Safety Research › Child Welfare and Adoption
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychoanalysis and Psychopathology Research
Keywords
infant attachment, foster care, foster mothers, attachment quality, intergenerational transmission of attachment, age at placement, caregiver availability, mother-infant dyads
MeSH terms
Adult, Aged, Female, Foster Home Care, Humans, Infant, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Middle Aged, Models, Psychological, Mother-Child Relations, Object Attachment, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Intergenerational Relations, Caregivers, Infant Behavior, Reactive Attachment Disorder

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