Implicit attitude toward caregiving: The moderating role of adult attachment styles

Attachment and caregiving are separate motivational systems that share the common evolutionary purpose of favoring child security. In the goal of studying the processes underlying the transmission of attachment styles, this study focused on the role of adult attachment styles in shaping preferences toward particular styles of caregiving. We hypothesized a correspondence between attachment and caregiving styles: we expect an individual to show a preference for a caregiving behavior coherent with his/her own attachment style, in order to increase the chance of passing it on to offspring. We activated different representations of specific caregiving modalities in females, by using three videos in which mothers with different Adult Attachment states of mind played with their infants. Participants' facial expressions while watching were recorded and analyzed with FaceReader software. After each video, participants' attitudes toward the category "mother" were measured, both explicitly (semantic differential) and implicitly (single target-implicit association task, ST-IAT). Participants' adult attachment styles (experiences in close relationships revised) predicted attitudes scores, but only when measured implicitly. Participants scored higher on the ST-IAT after watching a video coherent with their attachment style. No effect was found on the facial expressions of disgust. These findings suggest a role of adult attachment styles in shaping implicit attitudes related to the caregiving system

Like grandparents, like parents: Empirical evidence and psychoanalytic thinking on the transmission of parenting styles

The authors discuss the issue of intergenerational transmission of parenting from an empirical and psychoanalytic perspective. After presenting a framework to explain their conception of parenting, they describe intergenerational transmission of parenting as a key to interpreting and eventually changing parenting behaviors. Then they present (1) the empirical approach aimed at determining if there is actually a stability across generations that contributes to harsh parenting and eventually maltreatment and (2) the psyphoanalytic thinking that seeks to explain the continuity in terms of representations and clinical phenomena. The authors also discuss the relationship between the attachment and the caregiving systems and hypothesize a common base for the two systems in childhood experience. Finally, they propose the psychoanalytic perspective as a fruitful theoretical framework to integrate the evidence for the neurophysiological mediators and moderators of intergenerational transmission. Psychoanalytically informed research can provide clinically relevant insights and hypotheses to be tested

A role of BRCA1 and BRCA2 germline mutations in breast cancer susceptibility within Sardinian population

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In recent years, numerous studies have assessed the prevalence of germline mutations in <it>BRCA1 </it>and <it>BRCA2 </it>genes in various cohorts. We here extensively investigated the prevalence and geographical distribution of <it>BRCA1-2 </it>mutations in the entire genetically-homogeneous Sardinian population. The occurrence of phenotypic characteristics which may be predictive for the presence of <it>BRCA1-2 </it>germline mutations was also evaluated.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Three hundred and forty-eight breast cancer patients presenting a familial recurrence of invasive breast or ovarian carcinoma with at least two affected family members were screened for <it>BRCA1-2 </it>mutations by DHPLC analysis and DNA sequencing. Association of <it>BRCA1 </it>and <it>BRCA2 </it>mutational status with clinical and pathological parameters was evaluated by Pearson's Chi-Squared test.</p> <p>Results and Conclusion</p> <p>Overall, 8 <it>BRCA1 </it>and 5 <it>BRCA2 </it>deleterious mutations were detected in 35/348 (10%) families; majority (23/35;66%) of mutations was found in <it>BRCA2 </it>gene. The geographical distribution of <it>BRCA1-2 </it>mutations was related to three specific large areas of Sardinia, reflecting its ancient history: <it>a</it>) the Northern area, linguistically different from the rest of the island (where a <it>BRCA2 c.8764_8765delAG </it>mutation with founder effect was predominant); <it>b</it>) the Middle area, land of the ancient Sardinian population (where <it>BRCA2 </it>mutations are still more common than <it>BRCA1 </it>mutations); and <it>c</it>) the South-Western area, with many Phoenician and Carthaginian locations (where <it>BRCA1 </it>mutations are prevalent). We also found that phenotypic features such as high tumor grading and lack of expression of estrogen/progesterone receptors together with age at diagnosis and presence of ovarian cancer in the family may be predictive for the presence of <it>BRCA1-2 </it>germline mutations.</p

Measurement of nuclear modification factors of gamma(1S)), gamma(2S), and gamma(3S) mesons in PbPb collisions at root s(NN)=5.02 TeV

The cross sections for ϒ(1S), ϒ(2S), and ϒ(3S) production in lead-lead (PbPb) and proton-proton (pp) collisions at √sNN = 5.02 TeV have been measured using the CMS detector at the LHC. The nuclear modification factors, RAA, derived from the PbPb-to-pp ratio of yields for each state, are studied as functions of meson rapidity and transverse momentum, as well as PbPb collision centrality. The yields of all three states are found to be significantly suppressed, and compatible with a sequential ordering of the suppression, RAA(ϒ(1S)) > RAA(ϒ(2S)) > RAA(ϒ(3S)). The suppression of ϒ(1S) is larger than that seen at √sNN = 2.76 TeV, although the two are compatible within uncertainties. The upper limit on the RAA of ϒ(3S) integrated over pT, rapidity and centrality is 0.096 at 95% confidence level, which is the strongest suppression observed for a quarkonium state in heavy ion collisions to date. © 2019 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Funded by SCOAP3.Peer reviewe

The profile of seeking to adopt couples: Assessing the Generalized and Specific Attachment

Introduction. Attachment theory has highlighted the relationship between attachment and the quality of couple\u2019s relationship, whose dyadic adjustment is considered an important marker (Feneey, 2009; Santona, Zavattini, 2007). Therefore, this theory has stressed the influence of infant\u2019s experiences with the caregiver on the representations related to the current relationship with partner (Cowan et al., 2009; McCarthy, Maughan, 2010) for their impact on parental style and children\u2019s later adjustment. In line with these considerations, the assessment of the characteristics of parents seeking to adopt can be really important both at individual and dyadic level (Steele et al. 2003; Steele et al., 2007). The aim of this study is to assess the matching of the states of mind with respect to attachment to caregiver and partner in childless couples seeking to adopt, comparing them with couples similar for socio-demographic characteristics. Method. Participants: 39 infertile and childless couples (age: men M=39.92, SD=3.45; women M=39.10, SD=3.27), in the pre-adoption assessment, without any children previously adopted and 39 non-adoptive couples, drawn from the general population. The two groups do not differ significantly with respect to age. Measures: Adult Attachment Interview (AAI, George, Kaplan & Main, 1985), semi-structured interview which assesses attachment representations with respect to infancy; Current Relationship Interview (CRI, Crowell & Owens, 1996), semi-structured interview which assesses the state of mind with respect to the attachment in adult romantic relationships; Experiences in Close Relationships Scale-Revised (ECR-R, Fraley et al., 2000), self-report for feelings and behavior related to adult attachment; Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS, Spanier, 1979, 2000), self-report for couple adjustment. Results. Comparison of the AAI matching classifications has highlighted no statistically significant difference between the two groups (\u3c7\ub2 exact test=5.393, p=.801). On the contrary, in the CRI a prevalence of secure-secure matching in seeking to adopt parents, higher than the control group (\u3c7\ub2 exact test=11.535 p=.029), has been highlighted. Moreover, the adoptive group has shown a higher percentage of secure-secure style matching in the ECR-R compared to the control group (\u3c7\ub2 exact test=29.219 p<.000). Therefore, couples seeking to adopt show a prevalence of matching with High Dyadic Adjustment compared to the control group (\u3c7\ub2 exact test=32.311 p<.000). Discussion. Results show a prevalence of secure matching in partners seeking to adopt and higher levels of dyadic adjustment, except for infant attachment. These findings highlight the presence of positive personal characteristics, as the ability to communicate and to share, a positive self-concept and a good level of mutual knowledge, related to a high level of dyadic satisfaction

Modelli di attaccamento nei bambini adottati in seconda infanzia e nella loro madri adottive: un\u2019esemplificazione clinica.

La teoria dell\u2019attaccamento ha messo in luce il ruolo della sicurezza delle madri adottive nell\u2019influenzare la revisione dei Modelli Operativi Interni rispetto all\u2019attaccamento dei bambini late-adopted (Steele, Hodges, Kaniuk, Hillman, Henderson, 2003; Pace, Zavattini, D\u2019Alessio, 2012). In questo contributo, partendo da una disamina teorica sull\u2019importanza della qualit\ue0 del parenting, del caregiving e delle capacit\ue0 riflessive delle madri adottive, viene presentata la discussione di un caso di una bambina adottata all\u2019et\ue0 di sei anni. La madre e la bambina sono state viste in due incontri a distanza di sei mesi l\u2019uno dall\u2019altro. Durante la prima osservazione, al momento dell\u2019adozione, alla bambina \ue8 stata somministrata la Procedura di Separazione-Riunione e alla madre sono state somministrate l\u2019Intervista sull\u2019Attaccamento Adulto e la Funzione Riflessiva. In occasione del secondo incontro, alla bambina sono stati somministrati la Procedura di Separazione-Riunione e il Manchester Child Attachment Story Task. Si \ue8 evidenziato come la relazione con una madre sicura e con un buon funzionamento riflessivo possa rappresentare un fattore di facilitazione per la trasformazione dei pattern di attaccamento della bambina sia sul piano comportamentale sia rappresentazionale

Association between attachment representations of late-adopted adolescents and attachment state of mind of their adoptive mothers: a pilot-study.

Literature in the attachment field have highlighted that one or both adoptive parents with secure attachment states of mind and without any indexes of irresolution with respect to loss or abuse could be a good protective factor for late-adopted children, who were previously maltreated and neglected, allowing them to revise their insecure and/or disorganized attachment representations (Steele et al., 2007; Steele et al., 2008, Pace, Zavattini, & D\u2019Alessio, 2012). On the other hand, studies on intergenerational transmission of attachment in families with late-adopted children provided discordant results during pre-school and school age (Steele et al., 2008; Pace, & Zavattini, 2011; Verissimo & Salvaterra, 2006), and moreover only few researches on late-adopted during adolescence have been run. Thus, the aim of this study is to explore IWMs of late-adopted adolescents and their mothers in order to assess distribution of attachment representations and intergenerational transmission of attachment. Method. Participants. Our pilot-study involved 38 participants: 22 late-adopted adolescents and their 16 adoptive mothers. All adolescents, without any special needs, were between 12 and 16 years old at time of assessment (M=13.8, DS=1.8) and they aged four to eight years old at time of adoption (M=5.9, DS=1.1). Measures: Attachment representations of adopted adolescents were assessed by the Friend and Family Interview (FFI, Steele & Steele, 2005), while their cognitive status was controlled administering the verbal scale of Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children III (WISC-III, Orsini, Picone, 2006). The states of mind with respect to attachment of adoptive mothers were classifies by the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI, Main, Goldwyn & Hesse, 2002). Procedure. All the measures were administered separately to children and mothers during the same session. FFIs were video-recorded while the AAIs were audio-recorded. Both were successively transcribed verbatim. Results. The attachment representations of late-adopted adolescents were classified: 63.6% secure, 27.3% dismissing and 9.1% preoccupied. None was classified as disorganized, but one girls resulted disorganized as secondary category. Most of adoptive mothers were classified as secure-autonomous (87.5%) by the AAI, while 12.5% (N=2) resulted primarily unresolved regarding past loss or trauma, among these one received secure-autonomous and one dismissing as main category. None was classified as preoccupied. A trend towards a significant association was revealed between children\u2019s FFI secure-insecure classifications and maternal AAI secure-insecure categories. Non verbal IQ scores of adopted adolescents were at the minimal threshold of the normal range with a wide range of scores. Discussion. Our results would provide an empirical contribution to the literature on intergenerational transmission of attachment patterns in adoptive dyads, highlighting the impact that the maternal attachment states of mind could have on attachment representations of their late-adopted children in adolescence