A cross-sectional study on the relationship between maternal attachment styles and child cognitive functions

BACKGROUND: The concept of attachment refers to how the infant emotionally communicates with the caregiver. Despite the importance of this concept, the relationship between the mother's attachment styles and the child's cognitive functions has not been investigated so far. METHODS: In a cross-sectional study during October to December 2019, 120 primary school girl students were selected by the convenience sampling method. Participants responded to the two scales of Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale and Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fourth Edition (WISC®-IV), as well as the Experience in Close Relationship Scale (ECR-S). Data were analyzed using multivariate regression statistical model in SPSS software RESULTS: The results showed that five indices of verbal intelligence, knowledge intelligence, active memory intelligence, working memory (WM), and processing speed were predicted by parent's anxiety attachment style (P < 0.050 for all). However, the relationship between the indices of total intelligence, non-verbal intelligence, fluid reasoning intelligence, quantitative reasoning intelligence, visual-spatial processing intelligence, verbal inteligence, perceptual reasoning, general ability, cognitive domination, and total scale of students with parent attachment styles were not significant (P > 0.050). CONCLUSION: The findings of this study highlighted the role of maternal attachment styles in predicting child's psychological structures, which can be accompanied by clinical implications in planning interventions based on the intelligence quotient (IQ) promotion for the child