AO1 Disinhibited Attachment

• Who conducted a study on the types of attachment amongst children growing up in institutionalised care?

  Zeanah et al.
• What did Zeanah et al. do?

  Used the strange situation to assess the attachment types of 95 children between 1 and 3 years old who had spent most of their lives in institutionalised care
• What was the control group in Zeanah et al.'s study?

  50 children who had never experienced institutionalisation
• What percentage of the institutional group was securely attached?

  19%
• What percentage of the institutional group was classified with disorganised attachment?

  65%
• What percentage of institutionalised children fit the description of disinhibited attachment?

  44%
• What percentage of control group fit the description of disinhibited attachment?

  20%
• Disinhibited attachment is a type of disorganised attachment
• What are the characteristics of disinhibited attachment?

  Overly friendly behaviour towards unknown adults
• What is an explanation for disinhibited attachment?

  An adaption to living with multiple caregivers during the sensitive period for attachment formation. In poor quality institutions like Romanian orphanages, a child might have 50 carers, none of whom they see enough to form a secure attachment