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- Oxytocin and state attachment responses to secure base support after stress in middle childhoodPublication . Cuyvers, Bien; Van IJzendoorn, Marinus; Bakermans-Kranenburg, Marian; Verhaeghe, Johan; Molenberghs, Geert; LAFIT, GINETTE; Houbrechts, Melisse; Bosmans, GuyWe tried to replicate the finding that receiving care increases children’s oxytocin and secure state attachment levels, and tested whether secure trait attachment moderates the oxytocin and state attachment response to care. 109 children (9-11 years old; M = 9.59; SD = 0.63; 34.9% boys) participated in a within-subject experiment. After stress induction (Trier Social Stress Test), children first remained alone and then received maternal secure base support. Salivary oxytocin was measured eight times. Secure trait and state attachment were measured with questionnaires, and Secure Base Script knowledge was assessed. Oxytocin levels increased after receiving secure base support from mother after having been alone. Secure state attachment changed less. Trait attachment and Secure Base Script knowledge did not moderate oxytocin or state attachment responses to support. This might mean that, regardless of the attachment history, in-the-moment positive attachment experiences might have a beneficial effect on trait attachment development in middle childhood.
- Exploring the role of OXTR gene methylation in attachment development: A longitudinal studyPublication . Cuyvers, Bien; Ein‐Dor, Tsachi; Houbrechts, Melisse; Freson, Kathleen; Goossens, Luc; Van Den Noortgate, Wim; Van Leeuwen, Karla; Bijttebier, Patricia; Claes, Stephan; Turner, Jonathan; Chubar, Viktoria; Bakermans‐Kranenburg, Marian J.; Bosmans, Guyhe current study explored longitudinally whether oxytocin receptor gene methyla-tion (OXTRm) changes moderated the association between parental sensitivity changesand children’s attachment changes over three waves. Six hundred six Flemish children(10–12 years, 42.8%–44.8% boys) completed attachment measures and provided sali-vary OXTRm data on seven CpG sites. Their parents reported their sensitive parenting.Results suggest that OXTRm changes hardly link to attachment (in)security changesafter the age of 10. Some support was found for interaction effects between parentalsensitivity changes and OXTRm changes on attachment changes over time. Effects sug-gest that for children with increased OXTRm in the promotor region and decreasedmethylation in the inhibitor region over time, increased parental sensitivity was asso-ciated with increased secure attachment and decreased insecure attachment overtime.