A modification of the AMBIANCE scale for use with four -month -old infants and their caregivers: Development, stability, and predictive validity.
Item
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Title
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A modification of the AMBIANCE scale for use with four -month -old infants and their caregivers: Development, stability, and predictive validity.
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Identifier
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AAI3127887
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identifier
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3127887
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Creator
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Kelly, Kristen M.
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Contributor
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Adviser: Arietta Slade
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Date
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2004
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Psychology, Clinical
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Abstract
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The disorganized infant attachment classification, much more than avoidant and ambivalent, has become widely regarded as a marker of risk for maladaptive or psychopathological development predicting the presentation of behavior problems in childhood and adolescence (Lyons-Ruth & Jacobvitz, 1999). The Atypical Maternal Behavior Instrument for Assessment and Classification (AMBIANCE) (Bronfman et al., 1999) represents an attempt to operationalize caregiving behaviors associated with disorganized infant attachment. Previous studies using the AMBIANCE scales have linked high levels of atypical caregiving behavior during Ainsworth's Strange Situation to high rates of disorganized infant attachment. The AMBIANCE scale was developed to assess interactions between caregivers and their 12 to 24-month-old infants in the Strange Situation, and no closely comparable, validated tool exists for assessing atypical parenting behaviors in relation to younger infants (i.e., 6-month-old and younger). This limitation is notable given that levels of disrupted parent-infant communication associated with disorganized infant attachment have been observed as early as the first few weeks of infancy.;The present study modified the AMBIANCE in order to assess caregiver interactions with very young infants (i.e., infants <6-months). Participants were 5 1 mother-infant pairs who were assessed longitudinally when infants were 4-months and 14-months of age. At age 4-months, infants and mothers were videotaped using a splitscreen while engaged in a five minute face-to-face interaction, and these videotaped interactions were coded using a modified version of the AMBIANCE scale. At age 14-months, infants and mothers were videotaped while participating in Ainsworth's Strange Situation, and these videotaped interactions were assessed using the original version of the AMBIANCE scale.;Correlational and chi-square analyses revealed that the level of atypical caregiving behaviors between 4-months and 14-months was significantly stable, providing evidence suggesting the value of assessing affective communication between infants and caregivers at younger ages. Chi-square analysis revealed a significant association between organized/disorganized attachment status and disrupted/not disrupted affective communication status during mother-infant interactions at 4-months. The findings suggest that the presence of high levels of disrupted affective communication at 4-months was highly related to disorganized attachment at 14-months. This research has implications for the earlier identification and intervention with at-risk parent-infant dyads.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
