Attachment security and maternal characteristics as predictors of peer competence in African-American preschoolers

This study examined the antecedents and outcomes of attachment security from six to 36-months in a national sample of African American mothers and infants. Although attachment theory postulates that the attachment system is universal, cross-cultural research has demonstrated that the distributions of attachment classifications vary depending on culture studied and researchers have largely ignored understanding the antecedents and outcomes of attachment in different cultural groups. Data from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care (NICHD SECC) were used to examine the relationship between maternal sensitivity, acceptance (not spanking), and maternal progressive parenting attitudes, attachment security and peer relations skills. Logistic regression and canonical correlation were used to test the study hypotheses. Contrary to expectations of attachment theory, none of the main study variables were significantly associated with one another.