AI Article Synopsis
- - The study focused on how changes in oxytocin receptor gene methylation (OXTRm) relate to the effects of parental sensitivity on children's attachment styles over three different time points in a sample of 606 Flemish children aged 10-12.
- - Results indicated that changes in OXTRm are not significantly connected to changes in children’s attachment security after age 10, though there were some interaction effects observed.
- - Specifically, for children showing higher OXTRm in the promoter region and lower methylation in the inhibitor region, increased parental sensitivity was linked to stronger secure attachment and less insecure attachment over time.
Article Abstract
The current study explored longitudinally whether oxytocin receptor gene methylation (OXTRm) changes moderated the association between parental sensitivity changes and children's attachment changes over three waves. Six hundred six Flemish children (10-12 years, 42.8%-44.8% boys) completed attachment measures and provided salivary OXTRm data on seven CpG sites. Their parents reported their sensitive parenting. Results suggest that OXTRm changes hardly link to attachment (in)security changes after the age of 10. Some support was found for interaction effects between parental sensitivity changes and OXTRm changes on attachment changes over time. Effects suggest that for children with increased OXTRm in the promotor region and decreased methylation in the inhibitor region over time, increased parental sensitivity was associated with increased secure attachment and decreased insecure attachment over time.
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/dev.22496 | DOI Listing |
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