Developing a methodology:

A Study of Resilience and Attachment

in the Early Years.

Nur Aishah Hanun Azizi

A multimethod study of resiliency protective factors and

attachment for children age between 6 to 8 years.

Why resilience and attachment ?

Attachment theory and resilience theory have developed as
two separate bodies of knowledge with their own genealogy.
the concepts of attachment and resilience should be
regarded as complementary and that each is strengthened by
such an approach.
(Atwool, 2006, p. 315)

There are clear links in many of these characteristics ( of

positive behavioral exchanges between child-parent dyads) to
predictions made from attachment theory about secure
attachments as a principal source of resilience
(Rolfe, 2004, p. 78)

Resiliency Research:
What is resilience?
~ it is dynamic: NOT a set of permanent and inherent characteristics.
~ the process of resiliency maps the individuals journey to triumph
over adversity in a way that makes the individual better than prior to the

disruptive event. #1
(Richardson, et al., 1990; Rutter, 1985)

Resiliency Protective factors:

~ they are factors that exist within oneself (INTERNAL) and

within ones environment (EXTERNAL). They assist the individual
to overcome adverse situations and promote resilience.
(Anthony, 1974; Garmezy, 1991)

Examples of Resiliency Protective Factors:

Protective Factors

Researcher
Anthony

Garmezy

Rutter

Werner

Sense of personal worthiness

Positive social orientation

Believes in her or his selfefficacy

Delays gratification

Internal locus of control

Manages range of emotions

Sense of personal worthiness

Communicates effectively
Ability to have close
relationships
Interpersonal sensitivity

Citation for resiliency researchers:

Anthony E.J. (1974); Garmezy, N. (1991); Rutter, M. (1985, 1987); Werner, E.E. (1982, 1992)

#1

What is Attachment Theory ?

1. Definition: ~ is the bond between an individual and an
attachment figure.
2. Attachment theory is an evolutionary theory (ethology):

Environment of Evolutionary Adaptedness (EEA) Bowlby (1969)

~ a survival mechanism to ensure survival, growth and reproduction
Control systems theory governs behaviours to guarantee close
proximity to the caregiver

3. Attachment theory (to a lesser extent) has psychoanalytic

elements:

Internal working model predictions of oneself and others and the

responses of significant others to ones attachment needs.

Development of attachment

Phase 1 from 0 to 2 months

Phase 2 from 2 to 6 months
Phase 3 from 6/7 months to 2/3 years (separation & stranger anxiety)
Phase 4 from 2/3 years and over

Attachment Theory
1. Pioneered by John Bowlby trilogy:
Attachment and loss, Volume 1: Attachment (1969/1982)
Attachment and loss, Volume 2: Separation: Anxiety and anger (1973)
Attachment and Loss, Volume 3: Loss: Sadness and Depression (1980)

2. Tripartite Classification of attachment by Mary Ainsworth

and Wittig (1969); Ainsworth et al. (1978):
Secure (Type B)
Insecure-avoidant (Type A)
Insecure-resistant/ambivalent (Type C)

3. Classification of Disorganised/disoriented attachment style

by Main and Solomon (1986, 1990). (Type D)
4. Controlling attachment behaviour by Main and Cassidy
(1988) (Type D) : onset at 6 years.
Controlling-punitive
Controlling-overbright /caregiving

Attachment in early childhood:

Early attachment forms the basis for positive social and emotional
development for many psychosocial competencies.

Among the consequences to insecure attachment:

Negative self-concept
Low Self-esteem
Low self-confidence & beliefs in self-competency

Poor Emotional self-regulation

Low interpersonal communication skills
Negative internal working model

#
2

(Berk, 2005; Hoffnung et al., 2010; Santrock, 2008)

Prevalence of insecure attachment:

1. Australians first born at age of
12 months:
59% secure, 41% insecure
2. 93% are Caucasian of European
origin, 7% are non-European.
3. This distribution is reported to be
consistent with other Australian
studies.
(Harrison & Ungerer, 2002; Radojevic, 1996)

1. Distribution of attachment
classifications in other countries:
(a) United States:
67% secure, 33% insecure
(b) Western Europe:
66% secure, 34% insecure
(c) Africa:
57-69% secure, 43-31% insecure
(d) China:
68% secure, 32% insecure
(e) Japan:
61-68% secure, 39-32% insecure
(van IJzendoorn & Sagi, 1999)

Foundations of a Research Design:

Theoretical Framework
Bronfenbrenners Ecological
Systems Theory #
(Urie bronfenbrenner,1979)

The Resiliency Model (1990) #2

(Richardson et al, 1990)

Attachment theory
(Bowlby, 1962, 1973, 1980; Ainsworth, 1998)

The Transmission Model #

(van Ijzendoorn, 1995)

Conceptual Framework

Where does the processes of

resilience and attachment overlap ?
C

A research design
of 2 genealogically different constructs:
The COMMON denominator:

BOTH
RESILIENCE AND ATTACHMENT REQUIRES
POSITIVE SOCIAL INTERACTIONS
FROM
ONES SIGNIFICANT OTHER/S.

Foundations of a Research Design:

Theoretical Framework

Conceptual Framework
Bronfenbrenners Ecological
Systems

Bronfenbrenners Ecological
Systems Theory #

Quality of Attachment

(Urie bronfenbrenner,1979)

The Resiliency Model (1990) #2

(Richardson et al, 1990)

Attachment theory
(Bowlby, 1962, 1973, 1980; Ainsworth, 1998)

The Transmission Model #

(van Ijzendoorn, 1995)

Quality of social &

emotional development

External Resiliency
Protective Factors

Internal Resiliency
Protective Factors

Strength/challenge to 10
Resiliency Factors

Purpose of the study:

1. To develop EYR: ADS for children 6 8 years. #
2. To explore the resiliency aspects of the respondents
within the context of an attachment intervention
program.
3. To identify points of convergence between the
resiliency process and the attachment intervention.
4. To identify gender influences to the resiliency process.
5. To explore the mesosystem of the respondents from
the aspects of resiliency and attachment processes.

Research Questions:
1. How to develop the EYR:ADS instrument?
2. How do the external protective factors change with
intervention?

3. How do the internal protective factors change with

intervention?
4. What elements of intervention impacted upon the specific
points of the resiliency process?
5. How does gender impact upon respondents interaction
with their attachment figure?

6. What are the elements within the mesosystem of

respondents that are sensitive to intervention?

The Research Design

Quantitative

Resiliency
scores

8 respondents
age 6-8 years

Qualitative

Resiliency
questionnaire

Semistructured
interviews

Unstructured
interviews &
field notes

Attachment
intervention

Method of data collection

RESPONDENTS:
Purposive sampling a type of non-probability or
non-random sampling (Creswell, 2005;
Neuman, 2007).
a) Children with insecure attachment.
b) Age between 6 to 8 years*.
c)

4 female and 4 male respondents

d) Able to verbally communicate their feelings and

experiences.

1 quantitative and 3 qualitative instruments

for data collection

One Quantitative Instrument:

To develop the EYR:ADS instrument
a) Procedure to adapt the 62 items CR:ADS
questionnaire to EYR:ADS
i.

Simplify the language in CR:ADS to 6 8 years.

ii. Validation by 5 experts early childhood literacy and

5 in child development:

Face validity
Content validity
Construct validity

iii. Rasch Model for construct validity to ensure level

of language suitable for children 6 8 years: pilot
this EYR:ADS to 15 children (5 in each age level).

CR:ADS to EYR:ADS
CR:ADS

EYR:ADS

Aesthetical considerations for EYR:ADS

EYR:ADS (version 1)

EYR:ADS (version 2)

Early Years Resiliency: Assessing Developmental Strengths Questionnaire

(EYR: ADS) for children 6 to 8 years

Quantitative analysis of CRADS

#
Individual resiliency profile

SAMPLE: Output from CRADS

90.00%
80.00%
70.00%

L3
P3

60.00%

P1

P2
50.00%

L1

P4

L2
L4
Internal

40.00%

External
30.00%
20.00%
10.00%
0.00%
Negligible
Stigma

Negligible
Stigma

Mild Stigma

Mild Stigma

Mild Stigma

High Stigma

High Stigma

High Stigma

TYPE OF DISABILITY
Visible Disability Category
Invisible Disability Category

Figure 1: Orientation of Protective Factors in Relation to Stigma

Three main qualitative Approaches:

1. Multiple case study approach of -

8 respondents : 4 male

and 4 female.

2. Semi-structured interviews:
a) guided by resiliency scores generated by EYR:ADS
b) guided by attachment intervention protocol.

3. Unstructured interviews and field observations.

4. Participant observation researcher attends/assists in

attachment intervention, but do not participate in other phases of
research (Atkinson & Hammersley, 1998).

Research Design

An embedded multi-method research design.

(Creswell & Plano Clark, 2007)
10.

1.

QUAL [AIP]
Initial screening of sample:
N = 12

2.

3.

QUAL [AIP]
Interview based on
attachment style:
Nx = 4 and Ny = 4

Interpretation of all QUAN and

QUAL findings

9.
5.

QUAN [EYR:ADS]
Nx = 4 and Ny = 4

8.
6.

4.

QUAL [AIP]
Interview based on
EYR:ADS profile
Nx = 4 and Ny = 4

PREMEASURE

QUAL
Field notes and
unstructured
interviews

7.

QUAL
Interview based on
EYR:ADS profile
Nx = 4 and Ny = 4

QUAN
[EYR:ADS]
Nx = 4 and Ny = 4

QUAL [AIP]
Interview based on
experience with
intervention:
Nx = 4 and Ny = 4

POSTMEASURE

Data collection
1. Procedure for data collection will be done in four

phases:
(a) Phase 1: Initial screening and subsequently
final set of respondents
(b) Phase 2: Pre-intervention phase:
EYR:ADS measurements and semistructured interviews based on resiliency
profile.
Field observations
All data will be collected by the researcher
while being aware of bias.

Data collection
(c) Phase 3: Intervention phase:
Participant observation
Using unstructured interviews
(b) Phase 4: Post-intervention phase:
Semi-structured interviews based on
experiences during intervention.
EYR:ADS measurements and semistructured interviews based on resiliency
profile.
Field observations

(e) Analysis of data

Analysis of Data
1. Quantitative analysis of Resiliency scores from EYR:ADS
a) Generate 8 individual resiliency profiles.
b) Generate resiliency orientation output for all respondents
from aggregated scores of internal and external protective
factors.

Analysis of Data
2. Qualitative analysis of all qualitative data:
a) Stage 1(a): Initial open coding begins with purposive coding
based on existing variables in the resiliency questionnaire and
known elements in the attachment intervention.
b) Stage 1(b): Initial open coding also include emergent themes that
may be useful for further analysis.
c) Stage 2: Axial coding and the development of categories.
d) Stage 3: pattern matching and formation of emergent concepts.
(Denzin & Lincoln, 2011; Guba & Lincoln, 2005; Strauss & Corbin, 1998)

3. Triangulation of all quantitative and qualitative data.

(Creswell, 2005)

4. Attempts for additional stage 4 and 5 of axial coding will be

made to produce a hypothesis (conceptual proposition)
concerning the possible merging of both attachment and
resiliency processes.
(Whetten, 1989)

The Process of Resilience & Elements of Attachment

(Adapted from Richardson, Neiger, Jensen, & Kumpfer, 1990)

AIP

AIP

Envirosocial
protective
processes

Stressor

Envirosocial
enhancing
processes

AIP = Attachment
Intervention Program

Internal
protective
factors

Internal
protective
factors

AIP

Internal
protective
factors

Internal
protective
factors

Internal
protective
factors

Disruption
causing
Disorganization

Reintegration

Envirosocial
supportive
processes

AIP

Envirosocial
reintegrating
processes

Internal
protective
factors

Internal
protective
factors

Resilient
Reintegration

Reintegration
back to
homeostasis

Maladaptive
Reintegration

Dysfunctional
Reintegration

Ethics Considerations
1. Permission will be obtained from the Research Ethics
Committee.
2. The issues of sensitivities among respondents will include:

Direct dealing with respondents and their legal guardians to

avoid misinterpretations of intentions and expectations.
Disclosure of sensitive findings may need to be tapered down
unless there are funds to provide additional support after this
study.

3. Full confidentiality will be adhered to protect the well being

and privacy of the respondents and their family.
4. Observer bias researcher will be aware and consciously
control and reduce any bias or prejudice pertaining to the
observations and analysis of the research.
5. Hawthorn effect researcher will be aware that behaviors
can change and as a result of the respondent being aware
that he/she is being observed.

Thank you

Pioneers in
the field of
resiliency
research.
Emmy Werner

Hammond, W.

Rutter, M.

Garmezy, N.

Luthar, S.

PROTECTIVE FACTORS:
INTERNAL

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Self-concept
Self-control
Empowerment
Cultural sensitivity
Social sensitivity

EXTERNAL

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Family
Peers
Community
School
Commitment to
learning

(Donnon & Hammond, 2007)

Theoretical Framework: Dimensions of Resilience

#
2

(Donnon & Hammond, 2007)

Fewer protective factors, more

at-risk behaviors.

(Donnon & Hammond, 2007)

A/Y/C/EY~ Resiliency:
Assessing Developmental Strengths:
(to measure resiliency protective factors) #
AR:ADS
Adult
YR:ADS
Youth (grades 7 to 9)
CR:ADS
Child ( 8 11 years)

EYR:ADS
Early years (6 8 years)