Disorganized Attachment in Infancy: A Review of the Phenomenon and Its Implications for Clinicians and Policy-Makers

Pehr Granqvist; L. Alan Sroufe; Mary Dozier; Erik Hesse; Miriam Steele; Marinus Van Ljzendoorn; Judith Solomon; Carlo Schuengel; Pasco Fearon; Marian Bakermans-Kranenburg; Howard Steele; Jude Cassidy; Elizabeth Carlson; Sheri Madigan; Deborah Jacobvitz; Sarah Foster; Kazuko Behrens; Anne Rifkin-Graboi; Naomi Gribneau; Gottfried Spangler; Mary Ward; Mary True; Susan Spieker; Sophie Reijman; Samantha Reisz; Anne Tharner; Frances Nkara; Ruth Goldwyn; June Sroufe; David Pederson; Deanne Pederson; Robert Weigand; Daniel Siegel; Nino Dazzi; Kristin Bernard; Peter Fonagy; Everett Waters; Sheree Toth; Dante Cicchetti; Charles Zeanah; Karlen Lyons-Ruth; Mary Main; Robbie Dischinsky

doi:10.1080/14616734.2017.1354040

Disorganized Attachment in Infancy: A Review of the Phenomenon and Its Implications for Clinicians and Policy-Makers

Pehr Granqvist, L. Alan Sroufe, Mary Dozier, Erik Hesse, Miriam Steele, Marinus Van Ljzendoorn, Judith Solomon, Carlo Schuengel, Pasco Fearon, Marian Bakermans-Kranenburg, Howard Steele, Jude Cassidy, Elizabeth Carlson, Sheri Madigan, Deborah Jacobvitz, Sarah Foster, Kazuko Behrens, Anne Rifkin-Graboi, Naomi Gribneau, Gottfried SpanglerMary Ward, Mary True, Susan Spieker, Sophie Reijman, Samantha Reisz, Anne Tharner, Frances Nkara, Ruth Goldwyn, June Sroufe, David Pederson, Deanne Pederson, Robert Weigand, Daniel Siegel, Nino Dazzi, Kristin Bernard, Peter Fonagy, Everett Waters, Sheree Toth, Dante Cicchetti, Charles Zeanah, Karlen Lyons-Ruth, Mary Main, Robbie Dischinsky

Psychology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Disorganized/Disoriented (D) attachment has seen widespread interest from policy makers, practitioners, and clinicians in recent years. However, some of this interest seems to have been based on some false assumptions that (1) attachment measures can be used as definitive assessments of the individual in forensic/child protection settings and that disorganized attachment (2) reliably indicates child maltreatment, (3) is a strong predictor of pathology, and (4) represents a fixed or static "trait" of the child, impervious to development or help. This paper summarizes the evidence showing that these four assumptions are false and misleading. The paper reviews what is known about disorganized infant attachment and clarifies the implications of the classification for clinical and welfare practice with children. In particular, the difference between disorganized attachment and attachment disorder is examined, and a strong case is made for the value of attachment theory for supportive work with families and for the development and evaluation of evidence-based caregiving interventions.

Original language	American English
Journal	Journal of Attachment & Human Development
Volume	19
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/14616734.2017.1354040
State	Published - Jan 1 2017

Keywords

Disorganized attachment
attachment disorder
attachment-based interventions
infancy
maltreatment

Disciplines

Psychology

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Granqvist, P., Sroufe, L. A., Dozier, M., Hesse, E., Steele, M., Van Ljzendoorn, M., Solomon, J., Schuengel, C., Fearon, P., Bakermans-Kranenburg, M., Steele, H., Cassidy, J., Carlson, E., Madigan, S., Jacobvitz, D., Foster, S., Behrens, K., Rifkin-Graboi, A., Gribneau, N., ... Dischinsky, R. (2017). Disorganized Attachment in Infancy: A Review of the Phenomenon and Its Implications for Clinicians and Policy-Makers. Journal of Attachment & Human Development, 19. https://doi.org/10.1080/14616734.2017.1354040

Granqvist, P, Sroufe, LA, Dozier, M, Hesse, E, Steele, M, Van Ljzendoorn, M, Solomon, J, Schuengel, C, Fearon, P, Bakermans-Kranenburg, M, Steele, H, Cassidy, J, Carlson, E, Madigan, S, Jacobvitz, D, Foster, S, Behrens, K, Rifkin-Graboi, A, Gribneau, N, Spangler, G, Ward, M, True, M, Spieker, S, Reijman, S, Reisz, S, Tharner, A, Nkara, F, Goldwyn, R, Sroufe, J, Pederson, D, Pederson, D, Weigand, R, Siegel, D, Dazzi, N, Bernard, K, Fonagy, P, Waters, E, Toth, S, Cicchetti, D, Zeanah, C, Lyons-Ruth, K, Main, M & Dischinsky, R 2017, 'Disorganized Attachment in Infancy: A Review of the Phenomenon and Its Implications for Clinicians and Policy-Makers', Journal of Attachment & Human Development, vol. 19. https://doi.org/10.1080/14616734.2017.1354040

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AU - Hesse, Erik

AU - Steele, Miriam

AU - Van Ljzendoorn, Marinus

AU - Solomon, Judith

AU - Schuengel, Carlo

AU - Fearon, Pasco

AU - Bakermans-Kranenburg, Marian

AU - Steele, Howard

AU - Cassidy, Jude

AU - Carlson, Elizabeth

AU - Madigan, Sheri

AU - Jacobvitz, Deborah

AU - Foster, Sarah

AU - Behrens, Kazuko

AU - Rifkin-Graboi, Anne

AU - Gribneau, Naomi

AU - Spangler, Gottfried

AU - Ward, Mary

AU - True, Mary

AU - Spieker, Susan

AU - Reijman, Sophie

AU - Reisz, Samantha

AU - Tharner, Anne

AU - Nkara, Frances

AU - Goldwyn, Ruth

AU - Sroufe, June

AU - Pederson, David

AU - Pederson, Deanne

AU - Weigand, Robert

AU - Siegel, Daniel

AU - Dazzi, Nino

AU - Bernard, Kristin

AU - Fonagy, Peter

AU - Waters, Everett

AU - Toth, Sheree

AU - Cicchetti, Dante

AU - Zeanah, Charles

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AU - Main, Mary

AU - Dischinsky, Robbie

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ER -

Disorganized Attachment in Infancy: A Review of the Phenomenon and Its Implications for Clinicians and Policy-Makers

Abstract

Keywords

Disciplines

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