Assessing Attachment Representations in Adolescents: Discriminant Validation of the Adult Attachment Projective Picture System

To determine whether the transmission of attachment across generations is free from contextual constraints, adult attachment representations were assessed in two kibbutz settings, home-based and communal sleeping. It was hypothesised that under extreme child-rearing circumstances, such as the communal sleeping arrangement, the transmission of attachment is not evident, whereas in the more regular home-based environment the expected transmission of attachment will be found. The participants were 45 mothers and 45 infants, about equal numbers of boys and girls, from 20 kibbutz infant houses with communal sleeping arrangements, and from 25 kibbutz infant houses with home-based sleeping arrangements. Mothers were administered the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI), and infants were assessed through the Ainsworth Strange Situation. Among the home-based pairs, a correspondence of 76% was found between AAI and Strange Situation classifications, whereas the correspondence was only 40% in the communal sleeping group. It is argued that living in a communal sleeping arrangement reduces the expected transmission of attachment.

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Attachment representations and autonomic regulation in maltreating and nonmaltreating mothers

Development and Psychopathology ◽

10.1017/s0954579416001036 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 29 (3) ◽

pp. 1075-1087 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Sophie Reijman ◽

Lenneke R. A. Alink ◽

Laura H. C. G. Compier-De Block ◽

Claudia D. Werner ◽

Athanasios Maras ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Skin Conductance ◽

Adult Attachment ◽

Vagal Tone ◽

Autonomic Regulation ◽

Adult Attachment Interview ◽

Potential Utility ◽

Attachment Representations ◽

Attachment Representation ◽

State Of Mind

AbstractThis study assessed attachment representation and attachment-related autonomic regulation in a sample of 38 maltreating and 35 nonmaltreating mothers. Mothers’ state of mind regarding attachment was measured using the Adult Attachment Interview. They further watched an attachment-based comfort paradigm, during which we measured skin conductance and vagal tone. More maltreating mothers (42%) than nonmaltreating mothers (17%) had an unresolved/disoriented attachment classification. Attachment representation was related to physiology during the comfort paradigm: an unresolved state of mind and a nonautonomous classification were associated with a decrease in skin conductance during the comfort paradigm, specifically during the responsive caregiver scenario. However, physiology did not differ between maltreating and nonmaltreating mothers. The decrease in skin conductance of unresolved mothers during the comfort paradigm might be indicative of a deactivating response, which is congruent with the dissociative nature of the unresolved state of mind. The results point to the potential utility of interventions focused on attachment representations for maltreating mothers.

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The Adult Attachment Projective Picture System: a pilot study of inter-rater reliability and face validity with adults with intellectual disabilities

Advances in Mental Health and Intellectual Disabilities ◽

10.1108/amhid-11-2017-0036 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 12 (2) ◽

pp. 57-66 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Deanna Gallichan ◽

Carol George

Keyword(s):

Intellectual Disabilities ◽

Adult Attachment ◽

Clinical Utility ◽

Reliability And Validity ◽

Clinical History ◽

Face Validity ◽

Rater Reliability ◽

Content Type ◽

Adult Attachment Projective ◽

Adults With Intellectual Disabilities

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to assess whether the Adult Attachment Projective (AAP) Picture System is a reliable and face valid measure of internal working models of attachment in adults with intellectual disabilities (ID). Design/methodology/approach The AAPs of 20 adults with ID were coded blind by two reliable judges and classified into one of four groups: secure, dismissing, preoccupied, or unresolved. Inter-rater reliability was calculated using κ. Six participants repeated the assessment for test-retest reliability. Two independent experts rated ten cases on the links between the AAP analysis and the clinical history. Findings There was significant agreement between AAP judges, κ=0.677, p<0.001. Five out of six participants showed stability in their classifications over time. The majority of expert ratings were “good” or “excellent”. There was a significant inter-class correlation between raters suggesting good agreement between them r=0.51 (p<0.05). The raters’ feedback suggested that the AAP had good clinical utility. Research limitations/implications The inter-rater reliability, stability, face validity, and clinical utility of the AAP in this population is promising. Further examination of these findings with a larger sample of individuals with ID is needed. Originality/value This is the first study attempting to investigate the reliability and validity of the AAP in this population.

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