Attachment and Maladjustment: The Role of Effortful Control Development During Middle Childhood

Background Latent growth curve modeling was used to investigate the longitudinal link between attachment, effortful control (EC), and maladaptive development during middle childhood. Methods In a community sample, children (Time 1: n = 157; M age 10.91) their mothers were examined three times over two-year period. Attachment operationalized at more strategic (self-reported trust in maternal support) automatic level (secure base script knowledge). Mothers reported about children’s EC maladjustment. Results Secure attachment associated with higher EC, but only linked baseline self-reported trust. Also, indirectly change externalizing internalizing problems time. addition, time through development. Conclusion and, less robustly, emotional behavioral problems.