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Cited by 109Attachment and Relationship DynamicsChild and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional DevelopmentPsychoanalysis and Psychopathology Research

Sensitivity and security: New questions to ponder

Thompson, Ross A.·1997·Child Development
DOI 10.2307/1132109
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Abstract

The conclusion that parental sensitivity is a reliable—but not highly robust—predictor of a secure attachment invites reconsideration of the nature of sensitivity and its impact on early psychosocial development. Future directions for inquiry include (1) renewed attention to the growth of attachment in the context of other developing features of the parent-infant relationship, including play and behavioral management; (2) the factors that moderate the impact of sensitivity on developing security (including the contexts of sensitive responsiveness infant age, and the consistency of parental sensitivity over time); (3) the multifaceted and dyanamic origins of individual differences in sensitivity; and (4) greater consideration of why sensitivity fosters attachment security, especially in relation to emergent working models of relationships and self.

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Crossref · 10.2307/1132109

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  • Sensitivity expressed when the child is fearful, anxious or distressed might be more prognostic of a secure attachment than sensitivity displayed during nonstressful episodes.

    “Several researchers, such as Thompson (1997), have proposed that -sensitivity expressed when the child is fearful, anxious or distressed might be more prognostic of a secure attachment than sensitivity displayed during nonstressful episodes . . .‖ (p.596).”

    From Infant and parent factors associated with early maternal sensitivity: A caregiver-attachment systems approach (2007) · cites this paper as Thompson (1997)

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Authors
Thompson, R. A.
Affiliations
University of Nebraska–Lincoln (US)
Corresponding author
Thompson, Ross A.
ORCID
Thompson, Ross A.
Venue
Child Development
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Published
1997-08
Volume
68
Issue
4
Pages
595
ISSN
0009-3920 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.2307/1132109
OpenAlex
W2130122373
Cited by
109
References
0
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 1 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 5 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 11 · 2012: 4
FWCI
4.98
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
Child Development (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychoanalysis and Psychopathology Research
Keywords
parental sensitivity, attachment security, parent-infant relationship, sensitive responsiveness, self-concept, play, behavior management

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