Attachment and Process in Infant Intervention Outcomes

Woodhouse, Susan

Abstract

The primary aim of this research project is to merge counseling psychology and developmental perspectives in order to examine how intervention process variables are related to both to (a) pre-intervention maternal state of mind with respect to attachment and (b) the outcomes of a preventive, home visiting intervention with mothers and their irritable infants. Outcomes to be examined include improvements in maternal sensitive responsiveness to the infant and security of infant attachment. This goal will be accomplished through a multi-method research approach, in which mother, intervener, and observer ratings of the intervention process will be examined. Participants for this study will be approximately 75 low SES/economically stressed mothers and their irritable infants who will be participating in an intervention study conducted by Dr. Jude Cassidy. When the infants are aged 5.5 months, mothers and infants will perform a number of tasks in the lab and mothers will complete pre-intervention measures and an assessment of mothers' state of mind with respect to attachment. At age 6 months, infants and mothers will be observed in their homes. Three intervention home visits will occur when the infant is aged 7-9 months, and mothers will complete post-intervention measures during a follow-up home visit. After this visit, interveners will also complete post-intervention measures. All home visits will be video-taped to allow for later coding. When infants are 12 months old, mothers and infants will once again be observed in their homes by a trained observer, and mothers and infants will return to the lab to do a number of tasks including an assessment of infant attachment. This study seeks to investigate variables that may underlie differential outcomes across dyads. ? ?