Attachment and Play: Convergence Across Components of Parent-Child Relationships and their Relations to Peer Competence

Abstract

Two components of the parent-child relationship, attachment and play, are associated with peer competence, but have not been related to one another. This study examines: (a) linkages between attachment security and physical play interactions in mother-child and father-child dyads, and (b) linkages between these parenting components and peer competence. A total of 54 preschoolers (27 girls) participated with their mothers and fathers. Parents completed the Attachment Q-set (Waters, 1987) and parent-child dyads were observed in a physical play session that was evaluated for play engagement and quality. Preschool teachers evaluated children's popularity and friendly-cooperative behavior. Mother-child dyads with more securely attached children had higher rates of play engagement. In father-child dyads with more securely attached children, fathers issued more directives and children made more suggestions and positive responses. Mother-child play quality and father-child attachment were most strongly associated with preschool measures. Findings suggest that attachment and play are relatively independent components.