Publication Date

2017-05-09

Availability

Embargoed

Embargo Period

2019-05-09

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Psychology (Arts and Sciences)

Date of Defense

2017-03-29

First Committee Member

Daniel Messinger

Second Committee Member

Lynn Perry

Third Committee Member

Mitsunori Ogihara

Abstract

Infant attachment security is typically measured with the Strange Situation Procedure (SSP) and experts then rate attachment-related behaviors (proximity-seeking, contact-maintenance, resistance and avoidance) in the two reunion episodes of the SSP. However, expert ratings are time-intensive and do not provide objective descriptions of infant behavior. Movement and audio data were collected using Kinect motion detection and LENA audio recordings during the SSP in order to evaluate the utility of automated measures as possible correlates of attachment behaviors. Results indicate that dyadic measurements of mother and infant position in the room, when combined with more infant-centered variables such as initial approach and crying, accounted for a significant proportion of the variance in expert ratings. In addition, there were strong associations between these objective features and dimensional measurements of attachment. This is the first application of automated measurement to attachment behaviors and provides insight into behavioral patterns previously captured exclusively via expert but subjective rating scales.

Keywords

infancy; development; attachment; measurement

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