• Login
    View Item 
    •   BEARdocs Home
    • Graduate School
    • Electronic Theses and Dissertations
    • View Item
    •   BEARdocs Home
    • Graduate School
    • Electronic Theses and Dissertations
    • View Item
    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

    Levels of attachment security between foster and adoptive dyads using the MIMBRS observational method.

    Thumbnail
    View/Open
    Dissertation (798.8Kb)
    Copyright and Availability (824.4Kb)
    Access rights
    Worldwide access.
    Access changed 5/21/14.
    Date
    2013-05-15
    Author
    Bickell, Jennifer A.
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    Abstract
    The quality of the attachment relationship between foster and adopted caregiver-child dyads influences the overall quality of placement in the home. Attachment status also contributes to a host of positive and negative outcomes for a foster or adopted child. In this study, I investigated the impact of permanence on levels of overall attachment security between foster and adoptive parents as measured by the Marschak Interaction Method (MIM). Attachment behaviors were coded using the Marschak Interaction Method Behavioral Rating System (MIMBRS) (McKay, Pickens, and Stewart, 1996). Quality of interaction scores, as well as parent attachment behaviors, child attachment behaviors, and overall attachment behaviors using the MIMBRS, were compared between foster and adoptive caregivers. As hypothesized, adopted parents displayed significantly higher levels of parent attachment behaviors compared to foster parents. However, overall attachment behaviors (obtained by summing parent behaviors, child behaviors, and dyad behaviors) and child behaviors were not significantly different in foster and adopted dyads, suggesting that other mediating factors, such as maternal sensitivity or parental stress may impact attachment security in ways that permanence alone does not. However, there were notable trends in the direction of overall higher levels of attachment behaviors in adoptive dyads. Additionally, foster/adoptive fathers scored lower on attachment related behaviors than foster/adoptive mothers. Surprisingly, overall attachment security did not correlate with length of stay at placement or age at placement. These results suggest attachment benefits for adoptive families and raise questions regarding the process of attachment in non-biological fathers.
    URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/2104/8566
    Department
    Psychology and Neuroscience.
    Collections
    • Electronic Theses and Dissertations
    • Theses/Dissertations - Psychology and Neuroscience

    Copyright © Baylor® University All rights reserved. Legal Disclosures.
    Baylor University Waco, Texas 76798 1-800-BAYLOR-U
    Baylor University Libraries | One Bear Place #97148 | Waco, TX 76798-7148 | 254.710.2112 | Contact: libraryquestions@baylor.edu
    If you find any errors in content, please contact librarywebmaster@baylor.edu
    DSpace software copyright © 2002-2016  DuraSpace
    Contact Us | Send Feedback
    TDL
    Theme by 
    Atmire NV
     

     

    Browse

    All of DSpaceCommunities & CollectionsBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjectsThis CollectionBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjects

    My Account

    Login

    Statistics

    View Usage Statistics

    Copyright © Baylor® University All rights reserved. Legal Disclosures.
    Baylor University Waco, Texas 76798 1-800-BAYLOR-U
    Baylor University Libraries | One Bear Place #97148 | Waco, TX 76798-7148 | 254.710.2112 | Contact: libraryquestions@baylor.edu
    If you find any errors in content, please contact librarywebmaster@baylor.edu
    DSpace software copyright © 2002-2016  DuraSpace
    Contact Us | Send Feedback
    TDL
    Theme by 
    Atmire NV