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Maternal Secure Attachment Level to a One-Year-Old Child

Maternal Secure Attachment Level to a One-Year-Old Child Test

Understand the security of your bond with your 1-year-old in about 4 minutes. Get a clear, actionable snapshot of strengths and areas to support healthy connection and exploration.

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Questions: 204 minutes

Hi! My name is Freudly, i am an AI therapist, I will give you an interpretation of the test after you complete it.

08:30

October 2, 2025

October 2, 2025
Material has been updated

October 2, 2025
Material has been published

28,477 views

1,987 completions

1,681 likes

Verified by Daniel Hall

Psychologist with 25 years of experience

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

example score

2/5

Support/Ignoring (S)

This scale measures how consistently a mother provides emotional support to her child during challenging moments versus leaving the child to cope alone.

Low support

Moderate support

High support

0 – 1: Low support | 2 – 3: Moderate support | 4 – 5: High support

A score of 2 indicates a moderate level of support, suggesting the mother sometimes offers comfort and help in difficult situations but may not do so consistently.

example score

4/5

Responsiveness/Intrusiveness (R)

Measures how respectfully the mother supports the child’s initiative and independence while avoiding overly controlling intervention.

Intrusive/overcontrolling

Mixed responsiveness

Supportive responsiveness

0 – 1: Intrusive/overcontrolling | 2 – 3: Mixed responsiveness | 4 – 5: Supportive responsiveness

A score of 4 indicates generally supportive, timely involvement that respects the child’s individuality and allows initiative without excessive interference.

example score

2/5

Acceptance/Rejection (A)

Measures how much the mother accepts the child as they are and perceives the child as significant to her expectations and feelings.

Lower acceptance

Mixed acceptance

High acceptance

0 – 1: Lower acceptance | 2 – 3: Mixed acceptance | 4 – 5: High acceptance

A score of 2 falls in the Mixed acceptance range, suggesting acceptance is present but may be inconsistent or more conditional in some situations.

example score

2/5

Sensitivity/Insensitivity (S)

Measures how well a mother notices her child’s signals, understands the underlying needs, and responds in an appropriate, timely way.

Low sensitivity

Moderate sensitivity

High sensitivity

0 – 1: Low sensitivity | 2 – 3: Moderate sensitivity | 4 – 5: High sensitivity

A score of 2 suggests a moderate level of sensitivity, with some accurate responses to the child’s cues but inconsistencies in noticing or interpreting needs across situations.

example score

14/20

Maternal Attachment Level (MAL)

Measures the overall strength and security of a mother’s attachment to her 1-year-old, reflecting sensitivity, acceptance, supportive involvement, and respect for the child’s autonomy.

Low

Medium

High

0 – 12: Low | 13 – 16: Medium | 17 – 20: High

A score of 14 falls in the Medium range, suggesting the mother typically shows sensitivity and acceptance with generally supportive involvement, though these qualities may not be fully consistent across situations.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

New mothers seeking reassurance

46%OF USERS

Mothers of 0–1-year-olds who want to check how secure their bond feels and spot small areas to strengthen in everyday interactions.

Mothers facing bonding challenges

33%OF USERS

Mothers experiencing stress, postpartum mood symptoms, or a hard first year who want clarity about sensitivity, acceptance, and responsiveness with their baby.

Perinatal and child specialists

21%OF USERS

Psychologists, family therapists, and early development professionals who use a quick screening to guide counseling and early intervention plans.

BASED ON AGGREGATED, ANONYMIZED DATA FROM TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FREUDLY USERS.

RESULTS YOU CAN ACTUALLY USE

Scale Results
— Explained Clearly

Your scores across each test scale are translated into plain, usable insights. You won’t just get numbers — you’ll learn how your results impact your daily life, emotional state, and overall well-being.

AI-Powered
Interpretation

You’ll receive a structured, clinically-grounded explanation. Our AI analyzes patterns and relationships between scales to provide a coherent interpretation, without exaggerated language.

Statistical
Comparison

See how your results compare to others. Anonymized platform data is used to create a percentile scale, which identifies whether your results are typical.

Practical
Recommendations

You’ll receive clear, actionable guidance tailored to your profile. These easy-to-implement suggestions focus on coping, self-regulation, and realistic next steps.

AI-Powered
Insights

Get insights on behavioral and thought patterns you might not notice on your own. By uncovering subtle connections between your responses, you’ll better understand what may be driving your current results.

Discuss with
an AI Therapist

Clarify, reflect, and explore your results right away. Talk through your experience, ask questions, and explore meanings in a calm, non-diagnostic dialogue.

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Used in 52+ countries

Benchmarking

See How You Compare

Once you complete the test, your results are compared with real-world data from people in your country.
Below is a preview of how scores are typically distributed across each scale.

Support/Ignore (S)

Average

1.6

Normal range

0.9 — 2.3

min.

max.

Majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Responsiveness/Intervention (R)

Average

1.3

Normal range

0.6 — 2

min.

max.

Majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Acceptance/Rejection (A)

Average

1.4

Normal range

0.6 — 2.2

min.

max.

Majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Sensitivity/Insensitivity (S)

Average

3.2

Normal range

2.6 — 3.8

min.

max.

Majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Level of Maternal Attachment (LoMA)

Average

12.5

Normal range

10.1 — 14.9

min.

max.

Majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

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CLEAR ANSWERS TO COMMON QUESTIONS

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this questionnaire measure?

It estimates the security of the mother–child bond during the first year of life. It also provides scores for sensitivity, acceptance, responsiveness, and support.

Who is this questionnaire intended for?

It is intended for mothers of children around 12 months of age. It may also be used with children up to 4 years old when the first-year focus remains relevant.

How long does it take and how many items are included?

Completion typically takes about 4 minutes. The questionnaire includes 20 items.

How should items be answered?

Select the response that best matches typical behavior and feelings in everyday situations. Answer based on usual patterns rather than rare or extreme events.

How are results interpreted?

Higher scores indicate more consistent, secure, and supportive interaction patterns; lower scores indicate potential areas of difficulty. Scale scores identify which aspects of interaction may need support.

WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

About This Assessment

Maternal Secure Attachment Level to a One-Year-Old Child Test - Symptoms and Signs

motherhood attachment family

This questionnaire is designed to screen maternal perceptions and behaviors associated with secure attachment in early caregiving relationships. Maternal Secure Attachment Level to a One-Year-Old Child is intended for use with mothers of infants around age 1 and focuses on common caregiving situations and emotional responses. It was developed by Mary D. Ainsworth and Everett Waters.

The measure includes 20 items and typically takes about 4 minutes to complete. Scores are organized into domains reflecting caregiver sensitivity, acceptance, appropriate responsiveness versus intrusiveness, and support for the child’s exploration versus ignoring needs, with an overall index summarizing perceived attachment security. Maternal Secure Attachment Level to a One-Year-Old Child may be used in clinical and early intervention settings to inform case formulation and guide discussion of strengths and areas for support; results should be interpreted in context and are not diagnostic on their own.

Author: Everett Waters, Mary D. Ainsworth

Literature: Ainsworth, M. D. S., Blehar, M. C., Waters, E., & Wall, S. Patterns of attachment: a psychological study of the strange situation. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. 1978.

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