LAWFUL PATTERNS OF EARLY ATTACHMENT DISORGANIZATION ARE RELATED TO EXTERNALIZING BEHAVIORS ACROSS CHILDHOOD

Abstract

Increasing importance has been placed on identifying precursors to childhood and adolescent problem behaviors as a step to intervene in early years and prevent maladaptive developmental outcomes. Using publicly available data from the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (SECCYD) longitudinal cohort, the current study investigates the patterns of disorganization from infancy to early childhood as precursors to childhood externalizing behaviors. With specific focus on both the stability and directionality of change in disorganization, latent growth curve modeling was conducted and showed overall main effects of continuous attachment disorganization as a precursor for heightened externalizing behaviors across middle childhood – specifically for male children. To further disentangle the impact of having an organized internal working model versus lacking one, organized models were repeated to exclude attachment security. Results remained generally the same, suggesting the grave importance of attachment disorganization beyond even unfavorable, insecurely organized internal working models.