Abstract

This study investigates the attachment patterns in adoptive mothers and lateadopted children during the first period after adoption and aims to evaluate the role of adoptive mothers' security in making the revision of the MOI of these children easier. We administered the Separation-Reunion Procedure and the Manchester Child Attachment Story Task to the children; to the mother we administered the Adult Attachment Interview. The results show a discontinuity of the 35% in the "secure/insecure" distribution across the time period considered (p = .008). Moreover all the children who show a change from insecurity to security have "secure" mothers (p = .044). Finally our data suggest that the revision of the MOI of the late-adopted children is gradual and that mothers' security of attachment makes it more likely to occur.