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The emergence of attachment following early social deprivation

Elizabeth A Carlson1, Camelia E Hostinar1, Shanna B Mliner1

  • 1University of Minnesota Institute of Child Development.

Development and Psychopathology
|March 14, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Postinstitutionalized (PI) toddlers formed attachments quickly, but preadoption adversity prolonged this process. While attachment security was comparable to nonadopted children, PI toddlers showed more disorganized attachment patterns.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Attachment Theory
  • Child Psychology

Background:

  • Postinstitutionalized (PI) children face unique challenges in forming secure attachments.
  • Understanding attachment formation and quality in adopted children is crucial for developmental outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare attachment formation and quality in PI toddlers versus nonadopted (NA) children.
  • To investigate the impact of preadoption adversity on attachment in PI toddlers.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal study comparing 65 PI toddlers with 52 NA children.
  • Assessed attachment at 1-3 and 7-9 months postadoption using Attachment Q-Sort and Strange Situation.
  • Measured preadoption adversity and attachment formation levels.

Main Results:

  • PI toddlers formed attachments rapidly; 90% reached highest formation level by 7-9 months.
  • No significant differences in overall attachment security between PI and NA children.
  • PI children exhibited higher rates of disorganized attachment patterns.
  • Preadoption adversity correlated with lower attachment security, particularly early postadoption.

Conclusions:

  • Attachment formation and quality are distinct constructs in PI children.
  • Preadoption adversity influences attachment formation speed and early quality.
  • While most PI children achieve secure attachments, disorganized patterns warrant attention.

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