Attachment to the mother in connection with emotional regulation in preschool children with atypical development

The article is devoted to the search for the connection between the attachment of the child to the mother and the regulation of emotions at preschool age. Emotion regulation is defined as the internal and external processes responsible for monitoring, evaluating and modifying their emotional responses in individuals. Published data on the effects of the individual characteristics of the child, which influence the child's attachment to the parents, are few in Russian psychology. It is assumed that the features of the regulation of children's emotions predict the quality of attachment to parents, and insecure attachment predicts poor emotional regulation. Materials and Methods. We examined children (n=131) of preschool age with atypical and typical development at the age of 5 to 7 years. The group of children with atypical development consisted of children with impaired vision, speech and mental retardation. The “Little Houses” projective test was used to assess emotions and measure emotional reactions. The study of attachment was carried out according to the methodology “Questionnaire for assessing the types of attachment to the mother.” Results. The peculiarities of attachment of children to mothers, taking into account the individual characteristics of the development, were established. Thus, preschoolers with mental retardation have the least emotional contact with their mother, children with speech disorders prefer not to spend time with their mother, children with visual impairments do not perceive the mother as a source of help and support. It was found that negative emotions prevail in children with visual impairment. The data obtained confirmed that children with insufficient regulation of emotions, manifested in the expression of anger, hostility and boredom, feel less need for the mother's participation in social life, perceive her as less sensitive. The data obtained serve as the basis for the formation of preventive programs.