escents and their peers and the phenomenon of first love that occurs during adolescence (p. 542).
Second, Field (1996) notes that the assessment of attachment behaviors and symptoms of separation anxiety are externalùthe outward responses of children towards separation from their mothers. In a study of preschool children's anxiety responses to separation from their mother, Field (1996) measures the changes in the children's behavior by observing the affect, activity level, heart rate and active sleep. The additional information provides a comprehensive and universal assessment of attachment behavior and separation anxiety that can be applied to all attachment relationships (p. 545).
In order to assess the level of attachment in children after age three, researchers have identified other criteria for determining secure or insecure attachment. Silverman and Ragusa (cited in Fendrich, Huss, Jacobsen, Kruesi, & Ziegenhain, 1997) discovered a relationship between negative maternal behavior and self-regulation or delayed gratification behavior in children aged between two and four. Jacobsen, Edelstein and Hofmann (cited in Fendrich et al., 1997) found that children who have insecure attachment relationships with their parents acted aggressively and displayed tremendous difficulty with impulse control.
In a longitudinal study, the delayed gratification criterion was used to assess the attachment quality of children aged 12, 18 and 72 months. Using the Strange Situation model, the children were separated from their mothers for a short period and for an hour. Their beh
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