Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 15, 2026

The Other End of the Leash: An Experimental Test to Analyze How Owners Interact with Their Pet Dogs
08:59

The Other End of the Leash: An Experimental Test to Analyze How Owners Interact with Their Pet Dogs

Published on: October 13, 2017

Disorganized infant attachment classification and maternal psychosocial problems as predictors of hostile-aggressive

K Lyons-Ruth1, L Alpern, B Repacholi

  • 1Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge Hospital, MA 02139.

Child Development
|April 1, 1993
PubMed

Insights

Disorganized infant attachment is a strong predictor of later hostile behavior in preschoolers. Maternal psychosocial issues also contribute to aggression, highlighting early life factors influencing child behavior development.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Child Psychiatry
  • Attachment Theory

Background:

  • Understanding the early predictors of child behavior problems is crucial for timely intervention.
  • Maternal and infant factors during early development can significantly impact later social-emotional functioning.
  • Attachment security, particularly disorganized attachment, has been implicated in later behavioral issues.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the relationship between maternal and infant measures at 18 months and child behavior problems at age 5.
  • To identify the strongest predictors of hostile behavior in preschoolers among assessed infancy measures.
  • To explore the predictive roles of infant attachment security and maternal psychosocial problems on child aggression.

Main Methods:

  • Study involved 62 low-income families, assessing infants at 18 months and children at age 5.
  • Infancy assessments included mother-infant interaction, maternal psychosocial problems, infant cognition, and attachment security (including disorganized/disoriented classification).
  • Child behavior problems, specifically hostile behavior toward peers, were rated by preschool teachers at age 5.

Main Results:

  • Disorganized/disoriented infant attachment status was the strongest predictor of deviant hostile behavior at age 5 (71% of hostile preschoolers were classified as disorganized).
  • Maternal psychosocial problems independently predicted hostile aggression in preschool-aged children.
  • Infant attachment security and maternal psychosocial problems showed an additive predictive relationship with child aggression.

Conclusions:

  • Disorganized infant attachment is a significant early marker for later hostile and aggressive behavior.
  • Maternal psychosocial well-being is an independent risk factor for child aggression.
  • Findings underscore the importance of early attachment security and maternal mental health in preventing later child maladaptation.

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

A Common Marmoset Model of Mother-Infant Intervention for Breastfeeding Disorders in the Presence of Paternal Inhibition and Maternal Neglect05:04

A Common Marmoset Model of Mother-Infant Intervention for Breastfeeding Disorders in the Presence of Paternal Inhibition and Maternal Neglect

Published on: September 22, 2023

Related Concept Videos

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.
Socioemotional Development during Infancy01:30

Socioemotional Development during Infancy

Socio-emotional development in infancy is primarily shaped by early emotional responses and social connections, with temperament playing a central role. Temperament refers to the consistent patterns in an individual's emotional and behavioral responses, observable even in infancy. By examining temperament, researchers can better understand an infant's unique ways of interacting with the world, influencing subsequent personality and socio-emotional growth.
Primary Temperament Types
Stella Chess...
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 physical...
Parenting Styles01:27

Parenting Styles

Diana Baumrind's four parenting styles — authoritarian, authoritative, neglectful, and permissive — each influence children's socio-emotional development differently.
Authoritarian Parenting
This style is strict and controlling, with little room for open dialogue. Authoritarian parents demand obedience and often enforce rules with minimal warmth. Children raised this way may lack social skills and initiative, usually comparing themselves to others unfavorably.
Authoritative Parenting
This...
Conduct Disorder01:28

Conduct Disorder

Conduct disorder is a complex mental health diagnosis characterized by a repetitive and persistent pattern of behavior that violates societal norms, the rights of others, or age-appropriate rules. The diagnostic criteria for conduct disorder require the presence of at least three problematic behaviors within the past 12 months, with at least one occurring in the past six months. These behaviors are grouped into four categories: aggression toward people and animals; destruction of property;...
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...