Genetic and environmental influence on attachment disorganization

Abstract

The study suggests a gene-environment interaction whereby biological determinants of attachment disorganization are moderated by social experiences. Different pathways of the development of attachment disorganization are discussed based on a bio-behavioral model of development.

Mary Ainsworth’s legacy: a systematic review of observational instruments measuring parental sensitivity

“…These scales are clearly grounded in attachment theory and were designed to assess the quality of maternal behavior tailored to a specific infant and to explain individual differences in attachment quality (Ainsworth, Bell, & Stayton, 1971;Ainsworth, Blehar, Waters, & Wall, 1978). To this day the original Ainsworth sensitivity observation scale (Ainsworth, Bell, & Stayton, 1974), is still used in empirical studies (e.g., Fearon et al, 2006;Gonzalez, Jenkins, Steiner, & Fleming, 2012;Spangler, Johann, Ronai, & Zimmerman, 2009). …”

2.47 the Dopamine D4 Receptor Gene, Birth Weight, Early Maternal Care, Maternal Depression Over the Postnatal Time Period, and the Prediction of Disorganized Attachment at 36-Months of Age: A Prospective Gene X Environment Analysis

“…Gervai et al (2005) Bakermans-Kranenburg & van Ijzendoorn, 2004;Gervai et al, 2007;Lee Raby et al, 2013;Luijk et al, 2011;Spangler et al, 2009; Strangely, Luijk et al (2011) actually found opposite trends in each cohort. In the American cohort, infants without the 7R allele developed higher levels of security if their mother was more sensitive but in the Dutch cohort, the trend was in the opposite direction.…”

“…Liu et al, 1997;Nachmias et al, 1996;Spangler et al, 2009) as well as later cognitive and social development (e.g. Ainsworth et al, 1974;Bohlin et al, 2000;Jacobsen et al, 1994).…”

Gene-Environment Interplay in Parenting Young Children

“…So far, molecular studies have found significant interactions between variations in infant 5-HTTLPR polymorphism and early maternal care (i.e., responsiveness, quality of parenting behavior) in predicting attachment security (mean age = 7 months; Barry et al 2008), attachment disorganization (mean age = 12 months; Spangler et al 2009) and later negative emotionality and fear (mean age = 18 months; Pauli-Pott et al 2009). Significant interactions were also found with child attachment-related experiences (i.e., child-mother attachment relationship, attachment representation, etc.)…”