The adult attachment interview: rating and classification problems posed by non-normative samples.

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Forensic Psychology

Background:

• The Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) is a semi-structured interview used to assess adult attachment patterns.
• Non-normative samples, such as individuals with personality disorders, present unique challenges for AAI administration and scoring.
• Previous research has not fully explored the specific difficulties encountered when applying the AAI to forensic populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and discuss procedural and coding challenges in AAI administration and rating for non-normative samples.
• To examine the specific difficulties arising from extreme attachment experiences, psychological state, and interview context in personality disordered offenders.
• To explore potential modifications or limitations for AAI use with complex populations.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of AAI transcripts from personality disordered offenders in a high-security hospital setting.
• Qualitative identification of procedural and coding difficulties.
• Discussion of challenges rooted in participant characteristics and interview context.

Main Results:

• Significant procedural and coding challenges were identified in AAI administration and rating for this population.
• Difficulties stemmed from extreme attachment experiences, the psychological/psychiatric state of interviewees, and contextual factors.
• These challenges question the universal applicability and current rating system of the AAI.

Conclusions:

• The AAI requires careful consideration when applied to non-normative groups, especially forensic populations.
• Modifications to rating rules or expansion of the AAI system may be necessary to accommodate complex cases.
• Further research is needed to refine AAI methodology for diverse and challenging samples.