"The purpose of this study was to examine associations among maternal attributions for infant behavior, maternal attachment, and representations of the self as caregiver, as well as to examine the stability of maternal attributions from the prenatal to the postpartum period. Eighty-one primiparous mothers completed measures of attachment and attributions for imagined infant behavior in their third trimester of pregnancy and completed measures of attributions for actual infant behavior and caregiving representations at 6 months postpartum. Correlational analyses and multiple regressions were performed. Consistent with predictions, attributions were moderately stable from the prenatal to the postpartum period. Contrary to predictions, mothers with a dismissing attachment classification predominantly accounted for the change in maternal attributions over time. Also consistent with predictions, the attachment-based positive view of the self was associated with maternal investment in the parenting role. However, contrary to predictions, the attachment-based positive view of the self, rather than the positive view of the other, was also associated with prenatal maternal attributions. There were no associations with overall representations of the self as a caregiver or with postpartum maternal attributions. The current study highlights the relationship between attributions and attachment styles and demonstrates the need for further research in this area."--Abstract from author supplied metadata