The Effects of General Acute Stress and Attachment Insecurity on Perceptions of Infant Distress
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Authors
Bebis, Chrisanthi Krista
Issue Date
2025
Type
Thesis
Language
en_US
Keywords
Attachment , Caregiving , Distress , Infant , Parenting , Stress
Alternative Title
Abstract
This study examines caregiver-infant relationships, focusing on how caregivers' general stress levels influence their perceptions of infant distress. Infant cries serve as biological signals for care and support, but stress can hinder a caregiver’s ability to accurately interpret distress cues, potentially affecting their responsiveness. To investigate this, participants from a university campus engaged in a caregiving task using an infant simulator. Their caregiving behaviors, including feeding, diaper changing, and soothing, were observed and recorded. Attachment qualities and self-reported stress measures were also recorded. Findings show that higher levels of general acute stress often impacted perceptions of infant distress; specifically, higher levels of general acute stress were associated to perceptions of the infant simulator as aversive. Higher levels of acute general stress were also associated with higher feelings of frustration and less sympathy towards the infant simulator as well. Attachment Insecurity did not seem to have major significant associations with perceptions of or reactions to infant distress. These findings highlight the importance of supporting caregiver stress management and providing additional resources to families facing stressful circumstances, as a means of promoting healthy infant development and more effective caregiving.