In addition, we tested the uniqueness and specificity of adult romantic quality as a moderator of early caregiving in predicting anxious-depressed symptoms in two ways. First, we treated participants’ competence in the workplace, another salient domain of adaptation that draws upon related but distinct developmental achievements (Collins & van Dulmen, 2006; Erikson, 1963), as a discriminant moderator of early caregiving to predict anxious-depressed symptoms in adulthood. Second, we statistically controlled for several covariates to further test the specificity of adult romantic quality as a moderator of early caregiving. Gender was controlled based on the well-documented sex differences in internalizing symptoms (Nolen-Hoeksema & Girgus, 1994). Maternal depressive symptoms were included as the best available proxy to control for genetic factors as well as intergenerational continuity in stressful environments that may contribute to elevated anxious-depressed symptoms (Kendler et al., 2002; Rutter, Silberg, O'Connor, & Simonoff, 1999).
