An examination of maternal-fetal attachment in singleton and twin pregnancies
by Lahann, Rebbeca L., Psy.D., CAPELLA UNIVERSITY, 2008, 87 pages; 3311261

Abstract:

For over half a century, research has focused on the importance of maternal-infant interactions and how communications between infants and their primary care givers shape the individuals they become and the relationships they maintain (Ainsworth, Blehar, Waters, & Wall, 1978; Bowlby, 1978; Deutsch, 1945; Sümer & Cozzarelli, 2004). However, it is only recently that studies have begun to focus on the importance of this bond during prenatal development. Due to this shift in focus among the literature being relatively new, still very little is known about the nature of maternal-fetal attachment specific to twin gestations and how it compares to the experiences of forming a relationship with a fetus in a singleton pregnancy. This study was designed to help contribute to the narrow knowledge base regarding maternal-fetal attachment differences between twin and singleton pregnancies. Its purpose was to identify and evaluate differences in the patterns of prenatal attachment between mothers of twin pregnancies and mothers of singleton pregnancies, and to examine various psychosocial factors to evaluate their influence on attachment in twin and singleton pregnancies. Although the study's findings supported the hypothesis that singleton mothers have higher prenatal attachment as assessed by the PAI, the study shed little light on why this was the case. Moreover, many of the variables shown to be significantly correlated with prenatal attachment among the literature were not shown to be part of the explained variance within the current study. Limitations to this study and differences in methodologies between the literature and this research may have accounted for these differences. Conclusions, implications, and recommendations for future research are discussed.

 
AdviserMichael Brashears
SchoolCAPELLA UNIVERSITY
SourceDAI/B 69-06, p. , Sep 2008
Source TypeDissertation
SubjectsClinical psychology
Publication Number3311261
Adobe PDF Access the complete dissertation:
 

» Find an electronic copy at your library.
  Use the link below to access a full citation record of this graduate work:
  http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl%3furl_ver=Z39.88-2004%26res_dat=xri:pqdiss%26rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation%26rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:3311261
  If your library subscribes to the ProQuest Dissertations & Theses (PQDT) database, you may be entitled to a free electronic version of this graduate work. If not, you will have the option to purchase one, and access a 24 page preview for free (if available).

About ProQuest Dissertations & Theses
With over 2.3 million records, the ProQuest Dissertations & Theses (PQDT) database is the most comprehensive collection of dissertations and theses in the world. It is the database of record for graduate research.

The database includes citations of graduate works ranging from the first U.S. dissertation, accepted in 1861, to those accepted as recently as last semester. Of the 2.3 million graduate works included in the database, ProQuest offers more than 1.9 million in full text formats. Of those, over 860,000 are available in PDF format. More than 60,000 dissertations and theses are added to the database each year.

If you have questions, please feel free to visit the ProQuest Web site - http://www.proquest.com - or call ProQuest Hotline Customer Support at 1-800-521-3042.