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Assessing the concept of the 'insecure-other' category in the Cassidy–Marvin scheme: changes between 4 and 6 years in the English and Romanian adoptee study

Assessing the concept of the 'insecure-other' category in the Cassidy–Marvin scheme: changes between 4 and 6 years in the English and Romanian adoptee study
Assessing the concept of the 'insecure-other' category in the Cassidy–Marvin scheme: changes between 4 and 6 years in the English and Romanian adoptee study
We set out to explore the meaning of the attachment categories in the Cassidy/Marvin strange situation procedure, as employed in the home, using data from a longitudinal study of children adopted into UK families up to the age of 42 months from Romanian institutions, and of adopted children without the experience of institutional care––both groups being assessed at 4 and 6 years of age. Inter-rater reliability was found to be good. Security (meaning the use of the parent as a secure base and no negative behavior on reunion) was the modal categorical rating in both the institution-reared and comparison groups, but the category of anomalous non-normative behavior (meaning a lack of any ordered attachment behavior as covered by the standard ratings), previously labeled 'insecure-other', was more common in the institution-reared children. Because this was unassociated with the usual manifestations of insecurity (such as avoidance or resistance) and because it was largely evident in interactions with the stranger, it is concluded that the adjective 'insecure' was not appropriate. Although this 'insecure-other' category was associated with disinhibited attachment as reported by parents (meaning a lack of differentiation among adults, a willingness to go off with strangers and a lack of checking back with parents in anxiety-provoking situations), it did not prove to be a good index of disinhibited attachment because changes over time in the 'insecure-other' category were not associated with changes in the rate of disinhibited attachment. Also, whereas the rate of 'insecure-other' fell markedly in the institution-reared group between 4 and 6 years of age, it rose in the comparison group, raising queries over its meaning
cassidy/marvin procedure, disinhibited attachment, attachment insecurity, institutional rearing
0961-205X
1-16
Kreppner, Janna
6a5f447e-1cfe-4654-95b4-e6f89b0275d6
Rutter, Michael
14c45b9c-5f8e-4a19-a6fc-ce40ca498069
Marvin, Robert
567e2077-db16-4047-990c-700050903b42
O'Connor, Thomas
3d7a3dee-dc4b-457f-8393-8db26fc1ce40
Sonuga-Barke, Edmund
bc80bf95-6cf9-4c76-a09d-eaaf0b717635
Kreppner, Janna
6a5f447e-1cfe-4654-95b4-e6f89b0275d6
Rutter, Michael
14c45b9c-5f8e-4a19-a6fc-ce40ca498069
Marvin, Robert
567e2077-db16-4047-990c-700050903b42
O'Connor, Thomas
3d7a3dee-dc4b-457f-8393-8db26fc1ce40
Sonuga-Barke, Edmund
bc80bf95-6cf9-4c76-a09d-eaaf0b717635

Kreppner, Janna, Rutter, Michael, Marvin, Robert, O'Connor, Thomas and Sonuga-Barke, Edmund (2011) Assessing the concept of the 'insecure-other' category in the Cassidy–Marvin scheme: changes between 4 and 6 years in the English and Romanian adoptee study. Social Development, 20 (1), 1-16. (doi:10.1111/j.1467-9507.2009.00569.x).

Record type: Article

Abstract

We set out to explore the meaning of the attachment categories in the Cassidy/Marvin strange situation procedure, as employed in the home, using data from a longitudinal study of children adopted into UK families up to the age of 42 months from Romanian institutions, and of adopted children without the experience of institutional care––both groups being assessed at 4 and 6 years of age. Inter-rater reliability was found to be good. Security (meaning the use of the parent as a secure base and no negative behavior on reunion) was the modal categorical rating in both the institution-reared and comparison groups, but the category of anomalous non-normative behavior (meaning a lack of any ordered attachment behavior as covered by the standard ratings), previously labeled 'insecure-other', was more common in the institution-reared children. Because this was unassociated with the usual manifestations of insecurity (such as avoidance or resistance) and because it was largely evident in interactions with the stranger, it is concluded that the adjective 'insecure' was not appropriate. Although this 'insecure-other' category was associated with disinhibited attachment as reported by parents (meaning a lack of differentiation among adults, a willingness to go off with strangers and a lack of checking back with parents in anxiety-provoking situations), it did not prove to be a good index of disinhibited attachment because changes over time in the 'insecure-other' category were not associated with changes in the rate of disinhibited attachment. Also, whereas the rate of 'insecure-other' fell markedly in the institution-reared group between 4 and 6 years of age, it rose in the comparison group, raising queries over its meaning

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More information

Published date: 2011
Keywords: cassidy/marvin procedure, disinhibited attachment, attachment insecurity, institutional rearing

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 71865
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/71865
ISSN: 0961-205X
PURE UUID: 695cbed1-1e8e-4cfc-adec-f2574db8dc52
ORCID for Janna Kreppner: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-3527-9083

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Date deposited: 07 Jan 2010
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 02:53

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Contributors

Author: Janna Kreppner ORCID iD
Author: Michael Rutter
Author: Robert Marvin
Author: Thomas O'Connor
Author: Edmund Sonuga-Barke

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