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 x x x x
Positive social orientation x x x x
Believes in her or his self- x x x x
efficacy
Delays gratification x x x x
Internal locus of control x x x x
Manages range of emotions x
Sense of personal worthiness x x x x
Communicates effectively x x
Ability to have close x x x
relationships
Interpersonal sensitivity x
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 Conceptual 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)
 Where does the processes of
resilience and attachment overlap ?

#
 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
Bronfenbrenners Ecological Systems
Systems Theory #
Quality of Attachment
(Urie bronfenbrenner,1979)

The Resiliency Model (1990) #2 Quality of social &

emotional development
(Richardson et al, 1990)

Attachment theory External Resiliency Internal Resiliency

Protective Factors Protective Factors
(Bowlby, 1962, 1973, 1980; Ainsworth, 1998)

The Transmission Model #

(van Ijzendoorn, 1995) 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 Resiliency
questionnaire

8 respondents
age 6-8 years Semi- Unstructured
structured interviews &
interviews field notes
Attachment
intervention
Qualitative

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
P1
60.00% P3
P2
P4 L1 L2
50.00%
L4

40.00% Internal
External
30.00%

20.00%

10.00%

0.00%
Negligible Negligible Mild Stigma Mild Stigma Mild Stigma High Stigma High Stigma High Stigma
Stigma 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)

1. 10.
QUAL [AIP]
Initial screening of sample: Interpretation of all QUAN and
N = 12 QUAL findings

QUAL [AIP]
2. Interview based on 9. QUAL
Interview based on
attachment style:
EYR:ADS profile
Nx = 4 and Ny = 4
5. Nx = 4 and Ny = 4

3.
QUAN [EYR:ADS]
Nx = 4 and Ny = 4 8. QUAN
[EYR:ADS]
6. QUAL Nx = 4 and Ny = 4
Field notes and
unstructured
interviews
4. QUAL [AIP]
Interview based on QUAL [AIP]
7.
EYR:ADS profile Interview based on
Nx = 4 and Ny = 4 experience with
intervention:
Nx = 4 and Ny = 4
PREMEASURE 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 semi-
structured 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 semi-
structured 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)

Envirosocial

AIP
protective
processes
Stressor Internal
protective
factors Resilient
Reintegration

Internal Internal
Envirosocial
protective protective Reintegration
enhancing
processes factors factors back to
AIP homeostasis

Internal Internal Internal

protective protective protective
factors factors factors Maladaptive
Reintegration
Disruption Reintegration
causing
Disorganization
Envirosocial Internal
reintegrating protective
Envirosocial AIP processes factors Dysfunctional
supportive Reintegration
AIP processes
AIP = Attachment
Intervention Program
 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 Garmezy, N.

Hammond, W. Rutter, M. Luthar, S.

 PROTECTIVE FACTORS:

INTERNAL
1. Self-concept
2. Self-control
3. Empowerment
4. Cultural sensitivity
5. Social sensitivity

EXTERNAL
1. Family
2. Peers
3. Community
4. School
5. 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)