Exploring the Impact of Parent-Child Synchrony on Attachment Development

Tuesday - April 16 2024, 16:33 UTC - 7 months ago

A study from the University of Essex found that insecure attachment traits in mothers can lead to increased brain-to-brain synchrony with their children. Father-child brain-to-brain synchrony may be a compensating strategy for a relative lack of behavioral synchrony. This research aims to improve understanding of parent-child relationships and develop interventions to support positive attachment development.

A new study from the University of Essex has revealed that parent-child synchrony may not always be beneficial for attachment development. In fact, the study found that insecure attachment traits in mothers may actually lead to increased brain-to-brain synchrony with their children. Led by Dr.Trinh Nguyen and Dr.Melanie Kungl, along with colleagues from Austria and Germany, this research aims to shed light on the complexities of parent-child relationships.

The study, published in the journal Developmental Science, focused on 140 families and examined how they interacted while completing puzzles together. The parents were also assessed for attachment using an interview, while the children underwent a story completion task. Brain activity was measured using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) while the parent-child interactions were video-recorded and coded for behavioral synchrony.

The results of the study showed that mothers and children had stronger behavioral synchrony while fathers and children had stronger brain-to-brain synchrony. This suggests that father-child brain-to-brain synchrony may be a neural compensation strategy to counteract a relative lack of behavioral synchrony. However, the researchers cautioned that high synchrony may also be a sign of interaction and relationship difficulties, not just low synchrony.

The research team hopes that this study will lead to further investigations into parent-child relationships, as well as potential interventions and prevention strategies. Dr.Pascal Vrticka, one of the co-authors of the study, will be working with the NHS to explore this topic further, particularly with families of children with neurodivergent and adoption experiences. By understanding the optimal range of synchrony, researchers hope to improve relationships and attachment development in all families.

In conclusion, this study highlights the complexity of parent-child synchrony and its impact on attachment development. It also emphasizes the importance of understanding attachment and developing interventions and strategies to support healthy relationships within families.