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On the Origins of Disorganized Attachment and Internal Working Models: Paper I. A Dyadic Systems Approach

Beatrice Beebe1, Frank Lachmann2, Sara Markese1

  • 1New York State Psychiatric Institute.

Psychoanalytic Dialogues
|November 14, 2014
PubMed

Insights

This study recommends microanalyzing 4-month mother-infant communication to understand disorganized attachment formation. This approach reveals early infant internal working models, crucial for transmission mechanisms.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Attachment Theory
  • Infant Communication

Background:

  • Disorganized attachment is a significant area of study, yet its early formation and transmission mechanisms before 12 months remain unclear.
  • Understanding the origins of disorganized attachment is crucial for early intervention and prevention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To propose a novel research methodology for investigating the origins of disorganized attachment at 4 months of infant age.
  • To outline recommendations for studying the early formation of disorganized attachment through microanalysis of mother-infant interactions.

Main Methods:

  • Detailed microanalysis of 4-month mother-infant face-to-face communication.
  • Characterizing the nature of the 4-month infant's procedural representations and emerging internal working models.

Main Results:

  • The proposed microanalysis method provides a framework for empirical investigation.
  • This approach can illuminate the process of disorganized attachment formation between mother and infant.

Conclusions:

  • Microanalysis of early mother-infant communication offers critical insights into the development of disorganized attachment.
  • This methodology is essential for understanding the foundational mechanisms of attachment before 12 months.

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