Abstract
BackgroundChildren with attachment disorder show prosocial behavior problems. Children with a reactive attachment disorder show inhibited and emotionally withdrawn behavior. Consequently, these children typically display prosocial behavior problems. However, the underlying mechanism between reactive attachment disorder and prosocial behavior problems is still unclear and findings in literature are mixed.MethodsThe current study investigated the role of children’s attachment representations in this association. Attachment representations reflect knowledge about a cognitive script regarding the attachment figure as a source for support (Secure Base Script). We tested whether secure base script knowledge 1) mediates or 2) moderates the link between reactive attachment disorder and prosocial behavior problems in 83 children (6–11 years; 83.1% boys) recruited from special education schools for children with behavioral problems. Children completed a pictorial Secure Base Script Test. Their reactive attachment disorder symptoms were assessed during an interview with the primary caregivers. Primary caregivers and teachers filled out a prosocial behavior questionnaire about the child.ResultsResults did not support the mediation hypothesis, but evidence for the moderation hypothesis was found. Secure base script knowledge attenuated the negative association between attachment disorder symptoms and prosocial behavior.ConclusionsThese findings contribute to the discussion about the link between attachment representations and attachment disorders.
Highlights
Children with attachment disorder show prosocial behavior problems
Because reactive attachment disorder (RAD) symptoms are assumed to be linked to prosocial behavior problems due to underlying problems in emotion regulation [17], and because emotion regulation is highly affected by children’s attachment development [18], the current study focuses on the role of attachment in the association between RAD symptoms and prosocial behavior problems
Perceptual intelligence was positively correlated with Secure Base Script (SBS) knowledge suggesting that part of the variance in our measure of SBS knowledge related to intelligence
Summary
Children with attachment disorder show prosocial behavior problems. Children with a reactive attachment disorder show inhibited and emotionally withdrawn behavior. Children who develop reactive attachment disorder (RAD) symptoms show inhibited, emotionally withdrawn behavior towards adult caregivers, and/or persistent social or emotional disturbances, reflected in minimal social and emotional responsiveness, limited positive affect or episodes of unexplained arousal [1]. As part of this symptomatology, these children typically show prosocial behavior problems [2, 3]. We focused on the role of attachment representations and tested whether these representations either mediate or moderate the link between RAD symptoms and prosocial behavior problems
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