Frontal EEG asymmetry in infants observing separation and comforting events: The role of infants’ attachment relationship

Szilvia Biro; Mikko J. Peltola; Rens Huffmeijer; Lenneke R.A. Alink; Marian J. Bakermans-Kranenburg; Marinus H. van IJzendoorn

doi:10.1016/j.dcn.2021.100941

Frontal EEG asymmetry in infants observing separation and comforting events: The role of infants’ attachment relationship

Szilvia Biro^*
, Mikko J. Peltola
, Rens Huffmeijer
, Lenneke R.A. Alink
, Marian J. Bakermans-Kranenburg
, Marinus H. van IJzendoorn

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

The development of social-cognitive abilities in infancy is subject to an intricate interaction between maturation of neural systems and environmental input. We investigated the role of infants’ attachment relationship quality in shaping infants’ neural responses to observed social interactions. One-hundred thirty 10-month-old infants participated in an EEG session while they watched animations involving a distressing separation event that ended with either comforting or ignoring behavior. Frontal asymmetry (FA) in the alpha range - which is indicative of approach-withdrawal tendencies - was measured with EEG. Attachment quality was assessed using the Strange Situation procedure at 12 months. Overall, infants with disorganized attachment showed a lack of right-sided – withdrawal related – FA compared to secure and insecure infants. Furthermore, only avoidant infants exhibited reduced right-sided FA responses following the separation. Contrary to our expectations, the type of response (comforting vs. ignoring) did not elicit differences in FA patterns, and attachment quality did not moderate the effects of the type of response on frontal asymmetry. Implications for research on attachment-related biases in social information processing and on the neural underpinnings of prosocial behaviors are discussed.

Original language	English
Article number	100941
Pages (from-to)	1-8
Number of pages	8
Journal	Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience
Volume	48
Early online date	9 Mar 2021
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcn.2021.100941
Publication status	Published - Apr 2021

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This research was supported by a grant from the Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition awarded to SB, LRAA and MHvIJ, and by the SPINOZA prize from the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research awarded to MHvIJ. We would like to thank the parents and the infants who participated in our study.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 The Authors

Copyright:
Copyright 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

Funding

This research was supported by a grant from the Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition awarded to SB, LRAA and MHvIJ, and by the SPINOZA prize from the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research awarded to MHvIJ. We would like to thank the parents and the infants who participated in our study.

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities

Keywords

Attachment security
Disorganized attachment
Frontal asymmetry
Infancy
Social cognition

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10.1016/j.dcn.2021.100941

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title = "Frontal EEG asymmetry in infants observing separation and comforting events: The role of infants{\textquoteright} attachment relationship",

abstract = "The development of social-cognitive abilities in infancy is subject to an intricate interaction between maturation of neural systems and environmental input. We investigated the role of infants{\textquoteright} attachment relationship quality in shaping infants{\textquoteright} neural responses to observed social interactions. One-hundred thirty 10-month-old infants participated in an EEG session while they watched animations involving a distressing separation event that ended with either comforting or ignoring behavior. Frontal asymmetry (FA) in the alpha range - which is indicative of approach-withdrawal tendencies - was measured with EEG. Attachment quality was assessed using the Strange Situation procedure at 12 months. Overall, infants with disorganized attachment showed a lack of right-sided – withdrawal related – FA compared to secure and insecure infants. Furthermore, only avoidant infants exhibited reduced right-sided FA responses following the separation. Contrary to our expectations, the type of response (comforting vs. ignoring) did not elicit differences in FA patterns, and attachment quality did not moderate the effects of the type of response on frontal asymmetry. Implications for research on attachment-related biases in social information processing and on the neural underpinnings of prosocial behaviors are discussed.",

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note = "Funding Information: This research was supported by a grant from the Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition awarded to SB, LRAA and MHvIJ, and by the SPINOZA prize from the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research awarded to MHvIJ. We would like to thank the parents and the infants who participated in our study. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021 The Authors Copyright: Copyright 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.",

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AU - Bakermans-Kranenburg, Marian J.

AU - van IJzendoorn, Marinus H.

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N2 - The development of social-cognitive abilities in infancy is subject to an intricate interaction between maturation of neural systems and environmental input. We investigated the role of infants’ attachment relationship quality in shaping infants’ neural responses to observed social interactions. One-hundred thirty 10-month-old infants participated in an EEG session while they watched animations involving a distressing separation event that ended with either comforting or ignoring behavior. Frontal asymmetry (FA) in the alpha range - which is indicative of approach-withdrawal tendencies - was measured with EEG. Attachment quality was assessed using the Strange Situation procedure at 12 months. Overall, infants with disorganized attachment showed a lack of right-sided – withdrawal related – FA compared to secure and insecure infants. Furthermore, only avoidant infants exhibited reduced right-sided FA responses following the separation. Contrary to our expectations, the type of response (comforting vs. ignoring) did not elicit differences in FA patterns, and attachment quality did not moderate the effects of the type of response on frontal asymmetry. Implications for research on attachment-related biases in social information processing and on the neural underpinnings of prosocial behaviors are discussed.

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Frontal EEG asymmetry in infants observing separation and comforting events: The role of infants’ attachment relationship

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

UN SDGs

Keywords

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