Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 20, 2025

Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Hyperscanning Study in Psychological Counseling
06:04

Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Hyperscanning Study in Psychological Counseling

Published on: January 17, 2025

1.2K

Attachment representations in children with disruptive behavior disorders: A special focus on insecurity in middle

Fabiola Bizzi1, Cecilia Serena Pace1

  • 1Department of Education Sciences, University of Genoa, Italy.

Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry
|May 26, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Children with disruptive behaviour disorder (DBD) show high rates of insecure and disorganized attachment to caregivers. Understanding these attachment patterns is crucial for improving interventions for DBD in middle childhood.

Area of Science:

  • Child Psychology
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Clinical Psychology

Background:

  • Disruptive Behaviour Disorder (DBD) presents significant emotional and social challenges.
  • Limited research exists on attachment processes in middle childhood for children with DBD.
  • Attachment security is fundamental to emotional development and social functioning.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate attachment representations to caregivers in children aged 8-12 with and without DBD.
  • To identify specific attachment patterns associated with DBD.
  • To explore the role of attachment in the emotional functioning of children with DBD.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized the Child Attachment Interview (CAI) for narrative and behavioral assessments.
  • Assessed attachment representations using dimensional, categorical, and disorganization approaches.
  • Compared attachment in 42 children with DBD to 42 age-matched controls.

Main Results:

  • Over 80% of children with DBD exhibited insecure attachment.
  • More than 50% of the DBD group displayed disorganized attachment.
  • Children with DBD showed higher levels of dismissing attachment and lower security compared to controls.

Conclusions:

  • Insecure and disorganized attachment patterns are prevalent in children with DBD.
  • Attachment representations appear consistent across both parents in this population.
  • Findings highlight the importance of assessing attachment in DBD for enhanced evaluation and treatment strategies.

Keywords:
AttachmentChild Attachment Interviewdisruptive behaviour disorderexternalising behaviour problemsmiddle childhood

More Related Videos

Assessing the Coherence of Parents' Short Narratives Regarding their Child Using the Five-Minute Speech Sample Procedure07:56

Assessing the Coherence of Parents' Short Narratives Regarding their Child Using the Five-Minute Speech Sample Procedure

Published on: September 19, 2019

10.5K
Measuring Attentional Biases for Threat in Children and Adults08:25

Measuring Attentional Biases for Threat in Children and Adults

Published on: October 19, 2014

15.7K

Related Concept Videos

Attachment Styles01:24

Attachment Styles

Jeffrey Simpson's attachment theory suggests that early caregiver relationships shape lasting patterns of behavior and emotional regulation, known as attachment styles. These patterns are organized along two key dimensions: self-esteem and interpersonal trust. The intersection of these dimensions produces four primary attachment styles that typically persist throughout life and significantly influence how individuals form and maintain relationships.Secure Attachment StyleIndividuals with a...
158
Attachment01:20

Attachment

Attachment is vital for infant development, as warm social interactions support growth and well-being. In a classic 1958 study by Harry Harlow, the significance of warmth and comfort in forming attachments was examined. Harlow separated newborn monkeys from their mothers and provided two artificial "mothers": one made of cold wire and the other covered in soft cloth. Despite the wire mother offering food, the infant monkeys preferred the comfort of the cloth mother, demonstrating that...
403
Theory of Romantic Attachment in Adulthood03:34

Theory of Romantic Attachment in Adulthood

Attachment is a long-standing connection or bond with others. While Attachment Theory was conceived in developmental psychology to describe infant-caregiver bonding, it's been extended into adulthood to include romantic relationships. 
48.5K
Hazan and Shaver's Attachment Styles01:28

Hazan and Shaver's Attachment Styles

Attachment theory, developed initially to explain infant–caregiver bonds, has been extended to illuminate patterns of intimacy in adult romantic relationships. Psychologists Cindy Hazan and Phillip Shaver proposed that the attachment styles observed in infancy form a framework for how individuals approach emotional closeness and conflict in adulthood. These attachment styles—secure, avoidant, and anxious—are linked to enduring patterns of behavior and emotional regulation in...
281
Relationship with Parents: Attachment01:28

Relationship with Parents: Attachment

Parent-child interactions lay the foundation for how we understand relationships throughout life. These interactions are not uniform across families; instead, they are shaped by a range of environmental, emotional, and behavioral factors unique to each caregiver-child dynamic. Social psychologists study these early relationships to understand how patterns formed in infancy influence social functioning and interpersonal behavior in adulthood.Attachment Theory and Early Relational ModelsJohn...
164
Piaget's Stage 1 of Cognitive Development01:14

Piaget's Stage 1 of Cognitive Development

The sensorimotor stage, the initial phase of Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development, spans the first two years of a child's life. During this period, infants actively engage with their surroundings, building cognitive awareness through direct interaction with the world. This interaction is primarily based on sensory perception and motor actions, allowing infants to gradually understand basic physical properties and predict how objects interact within their environment.
Exploration...
1.4K