Attachment of toddlers in care with the moderating role of temperament: Turkish care types study

Due to adverse circumstances in institutional care settings, institutionalized children are at risk of developing insecure attachment types and attachment disorders. The current study examined the role of institutionalization on attachment by comparing children residing in institutions with children in foster care and never-institutionalized children living in Türkiye. Further, the moderating role of children's temperamental characteristics (i.e., frustration and perceptual sensitivity) between the care groups and attachment was investigated. In total, 103 children (18-39 months old; 37 residing in institutions, 29 in foster care families, and 37 never-institutionalized children living with their biological families), and their caregivers participated. Attachment types were assessed via an observation-based measurement tool. Attachment disorders were assessed via interviews with caregivers. Temperamental characteristics were measured by a caregiver-reported questionnaire. The results indicated that children in institutions had less secure, more avoidant, and disorganized attachment types than those in foster care and never-institutionalized children. Furthermore, children with low perceptual sensitivity displayed more avoidant attachment if they stayed in institutions compared to their peers in foster care. Being in foster care and having high levels of perceptual sensitivity negatively predicted Reactive Attachment Disorder. The findings indicate important implications for future studies and social policies.