Attachment Security in Infancy and Early Adulthood: A Twenty-Year Longitudinal Study
Waters, E., Merrick, S., Treboux, D., Crowell, J., & Albersheim, L. (2000). Attachment Security in Infancy and Early Adulthood: A Twenty-Year Longitudinal Study. Child Development, 71, 684-689.
This was a follow-up study to the Minnessota Birth Announcements Study. Of the original sixty participants, fifty were relocated and took part in the Adult Attachment Interview at age 20 or 21. In addition, AAI transcripts were examined and scored on negative life events during the last 20 years.
64% of participants had corresponding infant and adult attachment classifications (p = 0.002).
Heirarchical multiple regression analyses were used to investigate changes in attachment classification. Results were as follows:
- Secure and insecure infants were just as likely to have a different classification as adults.
- Higher levels of stressful life events were significantly related to secure infants becoming insecure by adulthood.
- Stressful life events were not significantly related to changes in classification for insecure infants
Results were taken to support Bowlby's belief that attachment representations are open to revision as a result of life events.
This is one of five articles on longitudinal attachment stability to early adulthood published together in the June 2000 issue of Child Development. For an overview of all five articles, refer to the general introduction (2000).
A pre-print copy of this article is available online courtesy of the Attachment Lab at the State University of New York, USA.