Psychological Development

1
The Past Was Close Behind Developmental
Forerunners of Couple
Interactions
W. Andrew Collins
University of Minnesota
wcollins_at_umn.edu
Collaborators Katherine Haydon, Minda Oriña,
Jessica Salvatore, Jeffry Simpson, SiSi
Tran
2
Overview

• The long arm of childhood relationships
• A research approach Longitudinal-developmental
  research from birth to age 32
• Two multi-method analyses of relationship history
  and functioning in couples
• Implications and possible health-related
  directions

3
Attachment as a Frame

• Species-typical behaviors evolved through natural
  selection
• Implicates hormones and peptides associated with
  lactation and regulation of pain and stress
• Mutually regulated dyadic systems
• From birth forward, experiences in successive
  life periods form and modify relationship-relevant
  behaviors, emotions, and cognitions
• Relationship functioning is always a function of
  history and current circumstances

Bonding patterns established in infancy may
also carry over or become re-established
in adult relationships and emerge as
emotional reactions to relationship challenges or
loss. Planalp, Fitness, Fehr (2006), p.
380
4
Secure Attachment Promotes Relationship
Development

• Confidence to explore novel/challenging (social)
  situations
• Empathy, social skills
• Positive expectations about others
  responsiveness
• Regulation of emotions
• Stage-setting peer relationships elaborate and
  expand on these abilities

5
Links from infant to adult attachment

• 64-77 concordance between infant and adult
  attachment classifications in the U. S. (same
  person)
• Maternal AAI scores predicted their infants
  attachment 75 of the time
• Concordance across three generations
  (grandmother, mother, infant)

6
Security of attachment in infancy related to
later relationships

• Effective peer relationships in school
• Early insecurity predicts more competitive
• and aggressive interactions in preschool
• Adult romantic relationships
• e.g., early insecurity?greater hostility to
• partner at 20-21

7
Byron Egeland
Alan Sroufe
8
Byron Egeland
Alan Sroufe
9
Minnesota Longitudinal Study of Risk and
Adaptation

• Key Question What processes account for
• continuity and change in adaptation from
• birth to maturity?
• Three aspects of adaptation
• Normative social development
• Educational achievement, functioning
• Psychopathology

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Longitudinal-Developmental Perspective

• Focus on the main challenges facing individuals
  in each life period
• Continuity and change
• Essential environmental supports
• Near- and long-term consequences of difficulties,
  environmental deficits

11
MLS/PC Participants

• 265 primiparous mothers in third trimester of
• pregnancy
• Mothers ages at delivery 12-34 years (M20.60
  SD3.57)
• 83 Caucasian, 12 African-American
• 58 single
• 59 HS graduates
• IQ test scores 49-142 (M105.30, SD15.13)
• Occupations clerical service workers
  laborers professional/administrative students
  15 unemployed

12
Today . . .

• 180 participants
• Half stable, economically independent
• 51 with relatively stable relationships rated as
  high quality, growth-enhancing
• 9.6 are college graduates 19 in school at
  least part time
• 75 working majority express job satisfaction

13
Frequent, detailed assessments

• All participants studied at
• Birth, 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, 24, 30, 42, 48, 54, 64
  months
• Kindergarten, grades 1, 2, 3, 6, 7
• Ages 16, 17½, 19, 23, 26, 28
• Subsamples
• Nursery school (age 4)
• Summer camps (ages 10-11)
• Weekend retreat (age 15)
• Romantic partners/couples (ages 20-21, 26-27)

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Multiple independent measures

• Multiple settings
• Laboratories
• Homes
• Schools
• Camps
• Multiple Data Sources
• Observer data
• Ratings (teachers, counselors, parents)
• Test data
• Self-report data (caregivers, participants)
• School, public records

15
Developmentally Keyed Measurement
Infancy Exploratory behavior attachment
Preschool Curiosity, problem-solving group entry, beginning peer affiliation
Middle Childhood School (achievement, adjustment) networks, friendship
Adolescence (12-18) Identity, behavior problems, regulation mixed gender groups, friendship intimacy, dating
Early Adulthood (19-25) School, work functioning romantic relationships, family formation
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Romantic Relationship AssessmentsInterviews of
all participants (16, 19, 23, 26)

• Dating history
• Activities with, feelings about, partner
• - time when you felt especially close
• - biggest fight or argument in the past
• month
• Coder ratings on 5-point scales of overall
• quality
• Highmutual caring, trust, support, emotional
  closeness
• Lowbland, empty hurtful to one or both parties
  role rigidity, chronic intense conflict,
  victimization
• Intraclass rs.85-.93

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Romantic Relationship Assessments Effectiveness
of Involvement in Relationships (23)

• Interview about dating history and current
  relationship
• Coded for all participants
• High formed maintained positive
  relationship(s) OR left negative ones
• Low no relationships or stayed in negative ones
• Intraclass r .94

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Romantic Relationship AssessmentsCouples
Procedure (20-21 27)

• Interviews with partners separately
• Observations of collaborative problem-solving
• Coder ratings of
• Overall quality of relationship
• Hostility, anger, positive/negative emotion,
  etc., in interactions
• Intraclass rs .82-.96

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What is the role of relationship history?

• Caregiving composite (ages 12-42 months)
• Peer competence (teacher ratings) (preschool,
  grades 1-3, 6)
• Parent-child collaboration, emotional support,
  and effectiveness of conflict resolution (age 13)
• Friendship security ratings (age 16)

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Some Key Findings

• Quality of romantic relationships in early
• Adulthood (ages 21-22) significantly related
• to relationship experiences from birth forward.
• Relationship history from birth through middle
  adolescence significantly related to indicators
  of harmony and flexible functioning (e.g.,
  effective conflict resolution, shared positive
  affect) at 21-22 and 26.

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Developmental coherence Romantic and earlier
relationships

• Relationship Quality
• Infancy responsive care
• Emotional support, conflict resolution in
  families (13)
• Peer competence (grades 1-3)
• Friendship competence (16)

• Relationship status, activity
• Infancy none
• Emotional support, conflict resolution in
  families (13)
• Peer competence (grade 6)
• Friendship competence (16)

Collins Madsen, 2002
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Some Key Findings

• Quality of romantic relationships in early
  adulthood
• (ages 21-22) significantly related to
  relationship
• experiences from birth forward.
• Relationship history from birth through middle
  adolescence significantly related to indicators
  of harmony and flexible functioning (e.g.,
  effective conflict resolution, shared positive
  affect) at 21-22 and 26.
• Profile of general peer competence in childhood
  and adolescence predicts relationship status (age
  23), but not quality. Friendship quality
  profiles predict quality (ages 21-22), but not
  status.

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Infancy/ Early Middle
Early Later Early
Todder Childhood Childhood
Adolescence Adolescence Adult 12-24 mos
4-5 yrs 8 yrs 12 yrs
16 yrs Age 23
Represen- tation
Represen- tation
Represen- tation
Represen- tation
Early Relationship Quality
Relationship Competence
Social Experience
Social Experience
Social Experience
Social Experience
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Should we expect the long arm of developmental
history to reach into adult partnerships? In
what ways?
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Case 1 Forerunners of Differential Emotional
Experiences
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Emotional Experience in Relationships
Attachment Perspectives

• Early attachment experiences uniquely tied to the
  experience and expression of emotions in
  relationships
• Individuals with relatively more secure
  attachment histories experience and/or express
  more positive and less negative emotions in their
  relationships

27
Adult Couple Relationships

• Emotional Tone Index (ETI) (age 20-23)
• The extent of positive emotions
• The extent of negative emotions
• The balance of emotions (positive emotions
  negative emotions)

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Observations of Couple Interactions

• At age 20-23, each couple engaged in a video-
• taped conflict resolution and Ideal Couple Q-sort
  
• task (30 mins).
• Ratings composited to create scores for each
• couples
• Positive relationship process (positive affect,
  secure base behavior, quality of conflict
  resolution, quality of interaction)
• Negative relationship process (negative affect,
  anger, hostility).

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Predictions

• Link between regulation of emotions when
  distressed in the Strange Situation (at 12
  months) and experiencing/expressing emotions in
  adult relationships (at 20-23).
• Link should be mediated through functioning in 2
  critical arenas
• Social competence in elementary school,
• Security with friends in high school.

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Assessments before Adulthood

• Recall
• Early Attachment Strange Situation at 12 months.
• Social Competence (grades 1-3) Teacher
  rank-ordering of all children in classroom.
• Friendship Security (age 16) Raters scored the
  extent to which participants claimed they could
  be themselves in their friendships, expected
  friends to be available and supportive, and
  shared positive and negative personal experiences
  with friends.

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Attachment History and Emotional Experience
.38
Peer Competence
FriendshipSecurity
.36
.27
.20
InfantAttachment
Adult ETI (balance)
CFI1.0, RMSEA0.00, X2 (2).20, ns
p lt .10 p lt .05 p lt .01
32
Attachment History and Emotional Experience
.38
Peer Competence
FriendshipSecurity
.36
.41
.05
InfantAttachment
Adult Positive Process
CFI1.0, RMSEA0.00, X2 (2).24, ns
p lt .01
33
Attachment History and Emotional Experience
.38
Peer Competence
FriendshipSecurity
.36
-.35
-.09
InfantAttachment
Adult Negative Process
CFI1.0, RMSEA0.00, X2 (2)1.19, ns
p lt .01
34
Attachment History and Emotional Experience
.38
Peer Competence
FriendshipSecurity
.36
.43
.20
InfantAttachment
Adult Composite Index
CFI1.0, RMSEA0.00, X2 (2)1.19, ns
p lt .10 p lt .01
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And so . . .

• Self-reported emotional experience of both
  partners and the characteristic couple
  interaction patterns reflect the history of
  age-salient relationships from birth through
  adolescence.
• Relationships after infancy contribute
  significantly, over and above the direct
  connection from infant to adult relationship.

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Case 2 Developmental Roots of Conflict
Resolution Patterns
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Effectiveness of Conflict Resolution
Observational Coding

• Assesses couples ability to make decisions or
  resolve conflicts in a manner that leads to
  mutual satisfaction with the outcome e.g.,
• Discuss each side openly, listen to each others
  perspective, accommodate both views in resolution
• Work cooperatively, rather than being dominated
  by one partner
• High Both partners appear satisfied with the
  process resolution process occasions little
  strain, obvious effort
• Low One partner appears manifests
  dissatisfaction either actively or passively
• High agreement between coders (ri .96)

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Partners Conflict Resolution Strategies
High Symmetry Cross-Complaint Reciprocal demands for change Criticism, complaints, accusations, attacks Mutual Avoidance Both partners skirt around topic, change the subject, etc.
Low Symmetry Demand-Withdraw Partner 1 demands change Partner 2 withdraws to preserve status quo Demand-Comply Partner 1 demands change Partner 2 complies to short-circuit conflict
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Conflict Strategy Scales

• Dyadic, holistic
• 5-point scales
• 1 strategy never used
• 5 only strategy observed
• Intercoder reliabilities .72 - .97

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Question 1 How frequently was each of the
strategies used?
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Question 1 What is each strategy of total
strategies used?
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Question 2 How important is each strategy to
overall conflict resolution effectiveness?

• Increase in
• effect size (R2)
• Demand-Comply .04
• Demand-Withdraw .04 to .14
• Mutual Avoidance .14 to .24
• Cross-Complaint .24 to .43

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Question 3 Prediction from early relationships
current strategies

• Does combination of early relationship
  experiences and current resolution strategies
  predict couple rating of resolution effectiveness
  better than either alone?
• Answer Yes
• Effect size (R2) for current behavior
  developmental predictors .55

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Some Lessons So Far

• Early relationship history provides useful
  information about both the insider perspective
  and outsider perspectives on key experiences
  and behaviors of established couples.
• Process of developmental influence is on-going
  and represents the result of both history and
  current circumstances.
• Continuing goal What can we learn about marital
  stability, satisfaction, and effective
  functioning from attending to the interplay of
  history and current circumstances?

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• It takes two.I thought one was enough,It's
  not trueIt takes two of usYou came
  throughWhen the journey was rough.It took
  you.It took two of us.

• It takes oneTo begin, but then onceYou've
  begun,It takes two of you.
• Lyrics from It Takes Two by Stephen Sondheim

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Special Thanks To

• Byron Egeland
• Alan Sroufe
• Michelle Englund
• Elizabeth Carlson
• Michelle Englund
• National Institute of Mental Health
  
• National Institute of Child
• Health and Human Development

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Relationship Processes and Health Some Working
Assumptions

• Relationships, both historically and currently,
  are integral to emotion regulation and, in turn,
  to competence in key adult roles (e.g.,
  parenting, work) and to the balance among roles.
• Stress and morbidity are related to particulars
  of social roles.
• Well being likely mediates between relationship
  functioning and physical health.

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A Five-Feature Framework

• Involvement (How much? When? To what degree?)
• Partner selection (With whom?)
• Content (Doing what?)
• Quality (How? In what manner?)
• Cognitive and emotional processes (With what
  thoughts, feelings?)

50
An Autobiographical Lyric

• I had a job in the great north woods
• Working as a cook for a spell
• But I never did like it all that much
• And one day the ax just fell
• So I drifted down to New Orleans
• Where I happened to be employed
• Workin for a while on a fishin boat
• Right outside Delacroix
• But all the while I was alone
• The past was close behind
• I seen a lot of women
• But she never escaped my mind, and I just grew
• Tangled up in blue
• Tangled Up in Blue from Blood on the Tracks, 1975

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Before Couplehood Measures of Relationship
History

• Early Attachment Strange Situation at 12 months.
• Peer Competence (grades 1-3) Teacher
  rank-ordering of all children in classroom.
• Family Interactions (age 13) Observer ratings
  of parental emotional support and parent-child
  conflict resolution processes during laboratory
  problem-solving tasks
• Friendship Security (age 16) Raters evaluated
  the extent to which participants claimed they
  could be themselves in their friendships,
  expected friends to be available and supportive,
  and shared positive and negative personal
  experiences with friends.

52
Early emphasis Quality of caregiver-child
relationships
Relationships w/ same /or other gender peers
Parent-child relationships

Relationship Quality
Behaviors to Partner
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Prediction from symmetrical strategy use vs.
asymmetrical strategy use

• Increase in
• 
  effect size (R2)
• From symmetrical patterns (MA, CC), .14 to
  .43
• controlling for assymmetrical (DW, DC)
• From asymetrical patterns (DW,DC), .39 to
  .43
• controlling for symmetrical (MA, CC)