Author(s)

Yanrong Zhu, Jie Chen

Corresponding Author

Yanrong Zhu

Abstract

Objective: To investigate whether parents attachment style can affect children’s anxiety and whether this influence is mediated by the parent-child attachment relationship. Methods: 478 children aged 2-6 years and their mothers were included in this study. The children's social emotion questionnaire, parent-child relationship questionnaire and adult attachment questionnaire were used to measure. Results :(1) grandmother-secure attachment and grandfather-secure attachment were significantly negatively correlated with the conflict-type parent-child relationship and children's anxiety and shyness, and significantly positively correlated with an intimate parent-child relationship. (2) Anxiety and shyness are positively correlated with conflict type parent-child relationship, while negatively correlated with intimacy type parent-child relationship. (3) Parent-child relationship played a mediating role in mothers' attachment style to grandmothers and children's anxiety. (4) Parent-child relationship played a mediating role in maternal attachment style to grandfather and children's anxiety. Conclusion: Attachment pattern has intergenerational transmission. Parent attachment (secure attachment pattern) has significant positive and negative predictive effects on the parent-child relationship and children's anxiety, and the parent-child relationship has significant positive and negative predictive effects on children's anxiety. To some extent, a good parent-child relationship can mitigate the negative effects of insecure attachment patterns on children's anxiety.

Keywords

Intergenerational transmission of attachment, Parent-child relationship, Children's anxiety