[Is it possible to assess attachment in children between three and six years using a questionnaire?].

So far the measurement of attachment of three to six year old children is only possible using time consuming behaviour observation or semiprojective play procedures. The aim of this work was to develop a more easily manageable questionnaire for practitioners to assess attachment in kindergarten children and to validate it by already existing more time-consuming attachment measures. Kindergarten entry was chosen as a natural stress inducing and thus attachment behaviour provoking situation using the professional caregivers in kindergarten as observers. To validate the questionnaire a sample of 118 kindergarten children were recruited. Cluster analysis revealed three groups comparable to secure, avoidant and ambivalent attachment classifications but failed to identify a disorganized attachment group. Comparisons with other attachment measures (reunion in kindergarten, the Strange Situation for Preschool Children and the Attachment Story Completion Task) revealed only partially significant concordances. With regard to additionally assessed domains of social-emotional and cognitive development the expected coherences where found for behaviour problems, cognitive development and problems during kindergarten entry but not for self concept. Over all it was not possible to assess attachment using the questionnaire. Explanations are discussed and the results are compared to other research findings.