Pinto, Alexandra Maria Pereira Inácio SequeiraVeríssimo, ManuelaGatinho, Ana Rita dos SantosSantos, António JoséVaughn, Brian E.2015-10-242015-10-242015Attachment & Human Development. doi: 10.1080/14616734.2015.10930091461-6734http://hdl.handle.net/10400.12/4031The present study aims to test Bowlby's suggestions concerning relations between the child's attachment quality with parents and subsequently constructed models of self-worth during early childhood. In most research on this question, attachment with mothers is considered in relation to self-worth but the child's attachment with fathers is not. Neither has the peer group been studied as an influence on child self-esteem, in the context of attachment research. This study addresses these relatively unstudied influences on child self-esteem. Attachment security to mother and father was measured by the Attachment Behavior Q-Set at two and half years of age. At five years of age social acceptance was measured using two sociometric techniques, and the self-esteem with the California Child Q-Sort. Our analyses indicated that security of the attachment to father and peer acceptance are both unique, significant predictors of the childrens' self-esteem. The security of the attachment to mother was also related to child self-esteem but did not emerge as a uniquely significant predictor. Peer acceptance appeared to moderate of the effect of the security of the attachment to father on the self-esteem of children. Our results extend the relatively sparse literature relating early attachments to self-esteem during early childhood.engSelf esteemAttachment to motherAttachment to fatherPeer acceptancePreschooljournal article10.1080/14616734.2015.1093009