Ryan D. Steele

TL;DR: Limits of prior studies were addressed by using two large AAI corpora and a broader range of linguistic variables, as well as examining associations of LIWC-derived AAI dimensions with key developmental antecedents, and regression analyses revealed that dismissing states of mind were associated with transcripts that were more truncated and deemphasized discussion of the attachment relationship.

TL;DR: Although changes in infant attachment patterns across the two generations were not correlated with individuals’ caregiving experiences or interpersonal stresses and supports during childhood and adolescence, higher quality social support during adulthood was associated with intergenerational changes from insecure to secure infant–caregiver attachment relationships.

TL;DR: Individuals who had experienced less sensitive maternal caregiving during childhood had greater increases in electrodermal activity during conflict discussions with their adult partners, relative to resting conditions.

TL;DR: It is demonstrated that the experience of maltreatment, particularly when chronic, is associated with increased risk for dismissing and preoccupied states of mind and more negative inferred childhood experiences.