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Adrenocortical responses to the strange situation in infants with disorganized/disoriented attachment relationships
L Hertsgaard1, M Gunnar, M F Erickson
1Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis 55455, USA.
Insights
Infants with disorganized/disoriented attachment showed higher salivary cortisol levels, indicating a stress response. This suggests coping behavior organization mediates physiological stress in early childhood.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Child Psychiatry
- Stress Physiology
Background:
- Parent-child relationships are crucial for child development.
- Maternal risk factors can impact parenting and child emotional well-being.
- The Ainsworth Strange Situation is a standard method for assessing infant-caregiver attachment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate salivary cortisol levels in relation to infant attachment classifications.
- To explore the link between stress reactivity and attachment in toddlers.
- To examine physiological stress responses in infants from high-risk families.
Main Methods:
- Salivary cortisol was measured in 19-month-old infants post-Strange Situation procedure.
- Infant behavior during the Strange Situation was coded for attachment classification (Secure, Avoidant/Resistant, Disorganized/Disoriented).
- Cortisol concentrations were compared across different attachment groups.
Main Results:
- No significant cortisol differences were found between securely attached and avoidant/resistant infants.
- Toddlers with disorganized/disoriented attachment exhibited significantly higher salivary cortisol levels.
- These findings align with models of stress reactivity influenced by coping behavior organization.
Conclusions:
- Disorganized/disoriented attachment in toddlers is associated with heightened physiological stress response.
- The organization of coping behaviors may mediate the relationship between attachment and stress reactivity.
- Understanding these links is vital for early intervention programs promoting healthy development.
Abstract:
Salivary cortisol levels were assessed in 19-month-old infants following the Ainsworth Strange Situation procedure. 38 infants participating in Project STEEP at the University of Minnesota served as subjects. Project STEEP is a longitudinal intervention program designed to promote healthy parent-child relationships and to prevent emotional problems among children born to mothers who are at high risk for parenting problems. Following the Strange Situation, saliva samples were collected and assayed for cortisol, a steroid hormone frequently examined in studies of stress. Behavior during the Strange Situation was coded by trained coders, and attachment classifications were determined for each infant. Cortisol concentrations did not differ between the 6 Avoidant/Resistant (A/C) and 17 Securely Attached (B) toddlers. Toddlers (n = 11) who were classified as having Disorganized/Disoriented (Type D) attachments exhibited higher cortisol concentrations than toddlers in the traditional (ABC) classifications. Results of this study were consistent with a model of stress reactivity that conceptualizes the organization of coping behaviors as a factor that mediates physiological stress responses.