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Attachment to soft objects: Its relationship with attachment to the mother and with thumbsucking

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Abstract

In this article, two investigations into the attachments of Dutch children to objects like cuddlies and blankets are reported upon. In the first study (n=140), the hypothesis of Spock that attachment to objects and thumbsucking are strongly related is tested. This hypothesis proved only partially to be correct. In the second study, (n=66) Ainsworth's hypothesis that attachment to objects is especially prevalent among securely attached children, is tested. The results of the Strange Situation point out that anxiously and securely attached children do not differ in their attachments to objects. Sex differences in this regard will also be discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pedagogics, University of Leiden, Leiden, The Netherlands

    M H Van IJzendoorn, F A Goossens, L W C Tavecchio, M M Vergeer & F O A Hubbard

Authors
  1. M H Van IJzendoorn
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  2. F A Goossens
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  3. L W C Tavecchio
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  4. M M Vergeer
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  5. F O A Hubbard
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Additional information

Thanks to J. Swaan en G. van Donselaar for their research assistance.

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Van IJzendoorn, M.H., Goossens, F.A., Tavecchio, L.W.C. et al. Attachment to soft objects: Its relationship with attachment to the mother and with thumbsucking. Child Psych Hum Dev 14, 97–105 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00707674

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00707674

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