Associations Between Adult Attachment, Maternal Emotion Socialization and Child Behavior.

This article investigates how maternal adult attachment styles—specifically attachment anxiety and avoidance—and maternal emotion socialization (ES) practices influence internalizing and externalizing behavior problems in preschool children. Using data from 409 Japanese mothers of 4- to 5-year-old children, the study found that maternal attachment anxiety directly increased child behavior problems and indirectly affected them through higher unsupportive ES styles (dismissing and dysfunction), while attachment avoidance indirectly influenced externalizing problems via lower supportive ES (coaching). The findings highlight maternal ES as a key mechanism linking adult attachment insecurity to child behavioral outcomes, suggesting that interventions targeting maternal attachment and emotion-related parenting may help reduce behavior problems in young children. The study emphasizes cultural context and calls for longitudinal and multi-caregiver research to further understand these dynamics.