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Apollo
Article . 2025
License: CC BY
Data sources: Datacite
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Apollo
Article . 2025
License: CC BY
Data sources: Apollo
Attachment & Human Development
Article . 2025 . Peer-reviewed
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Transition to motherhood: stability and change in attachment representations from pregnancy to 5 years

Authors: Steele, Miriam; Perez, Alejandra; Segal, Francesca; Fearon, Pasco; Fonagy, Peter; Steele, Howard;

Transition to motherhood: stability and change in attachment representations from pregnancy to 5 years

Abstract

This paper reports on Adult Attachment Interviews (AAIs) obtained from a low-risk sample of 51 pregnant women expecting their first child who were interviewed again when the child was five years of age. This is the first report of test-retest results that extends over five years that includes the transition to motherhood. Results suggest significant levels of continuity at the level of AAI classifications with three-way stability being 90% and two-way stability being 88%. When change was observed, it was more likely to be a move toward rather than away from security. At the level of dimensional scores, significant changes indicated a softening stance with higher coherence ratings, lower idealization scores, and less insistence on an inability to recall. This move toward a significantly more balanced state of mind regarding attachment was most evident among those mothers who maintained or became autonomous-secure.

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Keywords

Adult, motherhood, Mothers, stability and change in the AAI over the transition to motherhood, Object Attachment, Mother-Child Relations, Young Adult, Pregnancy, Child, Preschool, Mary Main, Adult attachment interview AAI, Humans, Female, transition to motherhood

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selected citations
These citations are derived from selected sources.
This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Citations provided by BIP!
popularity
This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Popularity provided by BIP!
influence
This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Influence provided by BIP!
impulse
This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Impulse provided by BIP!
0
Average
Average
Average
Green