TY - JOUR
T1 - Attachment in the brain
T2 - Adult attachment representations predict amygdala and behavioral responses to infant crying
AU - Riem, Madelon M.E.
AU - Bakermans-Kranenburg, Marian J.
AU - van IJzendoorn, Marinus H.
AU - Out, Dorothée
AU - Rombouts, Serge A.R.B.
PY - 2012/11/1
Y1 - 2012/11/1
N2 - Current research found that adult attachment representations influence neural, emotional, and behavioral responses to infant crying, thus validating the Berkeley Adult Attachment Interview with functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging. This study examined amygdala activation, feelings of irritation, and the use of excessive force as indicated by grip strength using a handgrip dynamometer during exposure to infant crying and scrambled control sounds in 21 women without children. Individuals with insecure attachment representations showed heightened amygdala activation when exposed to infant crying compared to individuals with secure attachment representations. In addition, insecure individuals experienced more irritation during infant crying and used more excessive force than individuals with a secure representation. Amygdala hyperactivity might be one of the mechanisms underlying the experience of negative emotions during exposure to infant crying in insecure individuals and might explain why insecure parents respond inconsistently to infant signals or reject their infants' attachment behavior.
AB - Current research found that adult attachment representations influence neural, emotional, and behavioral responses to infant crying, thus validating the Berkeley Adult Attachment Interview with functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging. This study examined amygdala activation, feelings of irritation, and the use of excessive force as indicated by grip strength using a handgrip dynamometer during exposure to infant crying and scrambled control sounds in 21 women without children. Individuals with insecure attachment representations showed heightened amygdala activation when exposed to infant crying compared to individuals with secure attachment representations. In addition, insecure individuals experienced more irritation during infant crying and used more excessive force than individuals with a secure representation. Amygdala hyperactivity might be one of the mechanisms underlying the experience of negative emotions during exposure to infant crying in insecure individuals and might explain why insecure parents respond inconsistently to infant signals or reject their infants' attachment behavior.
KW - AAI
KW - adult attachment
KW - amygdala
KW - fMRI
KW - infant crying
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84868287875&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84868287875&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/14616734.2012.727252
DO - 10.1080/14616734.2012.727252
M3 - Article
C2 - 23106177
AN - SCOPUS:84868287875
SN - 1461-6734
VL - 14
SP - 533
EP - 551
JO - Attachment and Human Development
JF - Attachment and Human Development
IS - 6
ER -