Bridging attachment theory and interpersonal acceptance-rejection theory in the strange situation procedure in a low-risk sample in Egypt

Infant Ment Health J. 2025 Jan 22. doi: 10.1002/imhj.22159. Online ahead of print.

Abstract
in English, Arabic

This study is the first to explore the relation between children's attachment classifications, assessed by Mary Ainsworth's Strange Situation Procedure (SSP), and mothers' acceptance-rejection behaviors from the lens of Interpersonal Acceptance-Rejection Theory (IPARTheory). As a pilot study, the sample consisted of 23 Egyptian mother-child dyads. The mean age of children in the SSP was 18.6 months (SD = 3.10). Mothers' acceptance-rejection behaviors were explored through the Parental Acceptance-Rejection/Control Questionnaire (PARQ/Control). The pilot study's findings revealed that maternal acceptance-rejection behaviors significantly differed across children's attachment classifications. The findings also shed light on gender differences in parenting, as mothers tended to show a higher level of hostility/aggression, undifferentiated rejection, and control with their daughters more than sons. This study is an important stepping-stone for attachment research in the Arab world. It highlights several cultural aspects to be taken into account for future research using the SSP in Egypt or any other Arab country.

ھﺬه اﻟﺪراﺳﺔ ھﻲ اﻷوﻟﻰ اﻟﺘﻲ ﺗﺴﺘﻜﺸﻒ اﻟﻌﻼﻗﺔ ﺑﯿﻦ ﺗﺼﻨﯿﻔﺎت اﻟﺘﻌﻠﻖ/اﻟﺘﺮاﺑﻂ اﻟﻌﺎطﻔﻲ ﻟﺪى اﻷطﻔﺎل، واﻟﺘﻲ ﺗﻢ ﺗﻘﯿﯿﻤﮭﺎ ﻣﻦ ﺧﻼل إﺟﺮاء اﻟﻤﻮﻗﻒ اﻟﻐﺮﯾﺐ (SSP) ﻟﻤﺎري أﯾﻨﺴﻮرث، وﺳﻠﻮﻛﯿﺎت اﻟﻘﺒﻮل واﻟﺮﻓﺾ ﻟﺪى اﻷﻣﮭﺎت ﻣﻦ ﻣﻨﻈﻮر ﻧﻈﺮﯾﺔ اﻟﻘﺒﻮل واﻟﺮﻓﺾ ﺑﯿﻦ اﻷﺷﺨﺎص.(IPARTheory) ﻛﺪراﺳﺔ ﺗﺠﺮﯾﺒﯿﺔ، ﺗﻜﻮﻧﺖ اﻟﻌﯿﻨﺔ ﻣﻦ 23 ﺛﻨﺎﺋﯿًﺎ ﻣﺼﺮﯾًﺎ ﻟﻸم واﻟﻄﻔﻞ. ﻛﺎن ﻣﺘﻮﺳﻂ ﻋﻤﺮ اﻷطﻔﺎل 18.6 ﺷﮭﺮا. ﺗﻢ اﻛﺘﺸﺎف ﺳﻠﻮﻛﯿﺎت اﻟﻘﺒﻮل واﻟﺮﻓﺾ ﻟﺪى اﻷﻣﮭﺎت ﻣﻦ ﺧﻼل اﺳﺘﺒﯿﺎن اﻟﻘﺒﻮل واﻟﺮﻓﺾ/اﻟﺘﺤﻜﻢ اﻷﺑﻮي.(PARQ/Control) ﻛﺸﻔﺖ ﻧﺘﺎﺋﺞ اﻟﺪراﺳﺔ اﻟﺘﺠﺮﯾﺒﯿﺔ أن ﺳﻠﻮﻛﯿﺎت اﻟﻘﺒﻮل واﻟﺮﻓﺾ ﻟﺪى اﻷﻣﮭﺎت ﺗﺨﺘﻠﻒ ﺑﺸﻜﻞ ﻛﺒﯿﺮ ﻋﺒﺮ ﺗﺼﻨﯿﻔﺎت اﻟﺘﻌﻠﻖ ﻟﺪى اﻷطﻔﺎل. ﻛﻤﺎ أﻟﻘﺖ اﻟﻨﺘﺎﺋﺞ اﻟﻀﻮء ﻋﻠﻰ اﻻﺧﺘﻼﻓﺎت ﺑﯿﻦ اﻟﺠﻨﺴﯿﻦ ﻓﻲ ﺳﻠﻮﻛﯿﺎت اﻷم ﻓﻲ اﻟﺘﺮﺑﯿﺔ، ﺣﯿﺚ ﺗﻤﯿﻞ اﻷﻣﮭﺎت إﻟﻰ إظﮭﺎر ﻣﺴﺘﻮى أﻋﻠﻰ ﻣﻦ اﻟﺘﺤﻜﻢ واﻟﻌﺪوان واﻟﺮﻓﺾ ﻏﯿﺮ اﻟﻤﺘﻤﺎﯾﺰ ﻣﻊ ﺑﻨﺎﺗﮭﻦ أﻛﺜﺮ ﻣﻦ اﻷﺑﻨﺎء. ﺗﺸﻜﻞ ھﺬه اﻟﺪراﺳﺔ ﺧﻄﻮة ﻣﮭﻤﺔ ﻓﻲ ﻣﺠﺎل أﺑﺤﺎث اﻟﺘﻌﻠﻖ ﻓﻲ اﻟﻌﺎﻟﻢ اﻟﻌﺮﺑﻲ، ﻓﮭﻲ ﺗﺴﻠﻂ اﻟﻀﻮء ﻋﻠﻰ اﻟﻌﺪﯾﺪ ﻣﻦ اﻟﺠﻮاﻧﺐ اﻟﺜﻘﺎﻓﯿﺔ اﻟﺘﻲ ﯾﻨﺒﻐﻲ أﺧﺬھﺎ ﻓﻲ اﻻﻋﺘﺒﺎر ﻓﻲ اﻷﺑﺤﺎث اﻟﻤﺴﺘﻘﺒﻠﯿﺔ اﻟﺘﻲ ﺗﺴﺘﺨﺪم SSP ﻓﻲ ﻣﺼﺮ أو أي دوﻟﺔ ﻋﺮﺑﯿﺔ أﺧﺮى.

Keywords: Egypt; IPARTheory; Strange Situation Procedure; attachment pattern; maternal acceptance; إﺟﺮاء اﻟﻤﻮﻗﻒ اﻟﻐﺮﯾﺐ (SSP)، ﻧﻈﺮﯾﺔ IPARTheory، ﺗﻘﺒﻞ اﻷم، ﻧﻤﻂ اﻟﺘﻌﻠﻖ/اﻟﺘﺮاﺑﻂ اﻟﻌﺎطﻔﻲ، ﻣﺼﺮ.