Intelligence and Attachment: Analysis of Affecive / Behavioral Self-regulation among Bright, Mentally Retarded and Normal Childern

The present research investigates the effect of intelligence on affective / behavioral self-regulation of children. For this aim investigate relationship between intelligence, attachment with secure and attachment styles (secure, ambivalence, disorganize / disoriented) and behavioral problems of slight mentally retarded (IQ=50-70), bright (IQ=125-140), normal children (IQ=95-110): Also relationship between kind and styles of attachment with behavioral problems in three groups was investigated. Samples this study includes 91 mentally retarded, bright and normal children with age range between 6-7 years old and of both genders of Tabrize city. Instruments were separation anxiety test, Achenbach the child behavior ckeck list's (T.R.F), Raven's progressive matrix test, demographic inventory. Analysed by data were univariate analysis of variance, LSD follow-up test, T test, and Chi square test. Results showed mentally retarded children only in self-reliance sub-scale of separation anxiety test were lower in comparison with bright and normal children significantly. Mentally retarded were more prone to insecure attachment in comparison with abnormal and bright children. There are significant differences between dispersion distributions of mentally retarded in four attachment styles in comparison with dispersion distribution of normal children, but there aren't singnificantly differences between dispersion distribution of normal and bright children in four attachment styles. Other results showed that mentally retarded are more prone to behavioral problems in comparison with normal and bright children, but this relationship is not significant in mentally retarded children. Also there is highest behavioral problems in ambivalent and avoidant bright and normal children but There is not significant differences between four of attachment styles of mentally retarded children on the basis of behavioral problems.