Parents’ Empathy and Child Attachment Security: A Brief Review

E.J.E. Heynen; W. Simon; Peer van der Helm; Geert  Jan Stams; Mark  Assink

doi:10.4324/9780429287459-4

Parents’ Empathy and Child Attachment Security: A Brief Review

E.J.E. Heynen, W. Simon, Peer van der Helm, Geert Jan Stams, Mark Assink

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

The present review examined the association between parents’ empathy and the quality of child-parent attachment relationships. A systematic search yielded five published empirical studies, including nine effect sizes. A three-level meta-analysis yielded a significant, moderate, and positive association of r =. 27 between empathy of the parent and children’s attachment security. It was concluded that parental empathy is significantly related to child attachment security. The magnitude of the effect size is comparable to the effect sizes found in meta-analyses on the relation between parental sensitivity, parental mentalisation, and child attachment security. Future studies should investigate the relation between parents’ (cognitive and affective) empathy, their internal working models of attachment, and their child’s attachment security.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Empathy versus Offending, Aggression and Bullying
Subtitle of host publication	Advancing Knowledge using the Basic Empathy Scale
Editors	Darrick Jolliffe, David P. Farrington
Publisher	Routledge
Chapter	3
Pages	30-42
Number of pages	13
Edition	1
ISBN (Electronic)	9781000366662
ISBN (Print)	9780367253745
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429287459-4
Publication status	Published - 23 Mar 2021

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title = "Parents{\textquoteright} Empathy and Child Attachment Security: A Brief Review",

abstract = "The present review examined the association between parents{\textquoteright} empathy and the quality of child-parent attachment relationships. A systematic search yielded five published empirical studies, including nine effect sizes. A three-level meta-analysis yielded a significant, moderate, and positive association of r =. 27 between empathy of the parent and children{\textquoteright}s attachment security. It was concluded that parental empathy is significantly related to child attachment security. The magnitude of the effect size is comparable to the effect sizes found in meta-analyses on the relation between parental sensitivity, parental mentalisation, and child attachment security. Future studies should investigate the relation between parents{\textquoteright} (cognitive and affective) empathy, their internal working models of attachment, and their child{\textquoteright}s attachment security.",

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Parents’ Empathy and Child Attachment Security: A Brief Review. / Heynen, E.J.E.; Simon, W.; van der Helm, Peer et al.
Empathy versus Offending, Aggression and Bullying: Advancing Knowledge using the Basic Empathy Scale. ed. / Darrick Jolliffe; David P. Farrington. 1. ed. Routledge, 2021. p. 30-42.

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › Academic › peer-review

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AU - Assink, Mark

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Parents’ Empathy and Child Attachment Security: A Brief Review

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