Main and Solomon (1986, 1990), found that infants with type D attachment have nothing in common in their behaviour with the other three types. In bizarre circumstances may be incongruous such as not giving attention to the caregiver. Furthermore, may have fearful or strange behaviours like "rocking themselves, ear pulling, or freezing" (cited in An introduction to developmental psychology book, chapter 6, page 158, paragraph 2).
The reason that these disorganised infants have a confused type of attachment is because some experiences have made them frightened. For example, Main and Hense, (1990), established that caregivers behaviour could made them be scared or the situations they have been through in which their mother showed insecure feelings or being terrifying. Findings are showing that when their caregiver had been treated them with cruelty (Crittenden, 1985) and also having depression, these behaviours lead infants to this disoriented situation (Radke-Yarrow et al., 1995). Other facts that may affect infants attachment, are the house environment which is not friendly, their parents are separated or a loss of a person (Lyons – Ruth et al., 1991). Furthermore, there is a support from Carlson (1998) that type D (disorganised) category of children’s attachment was caused from the difficulties that they had at playschool and also the psychopathology problems they had in teenage years (cited in Attachment and Development book, Part I, chapter 2, page 25 and from An introduction to developmental psychology, chapter 6, page 158).
However, culture differences are playing a major role for children’s attachment. Also, the way the parents are treating and growing their infants and their manner is very important role too. For example, Japanese caregivers are holding their babies all the time, they caring them whenever they go, they sleep together and have body contact. When the mother leave the baby alone in bizarre situation, feels unsafe and when the mother is back the baby takes time to calm down and feel secure. These infants are called insecure-resistant (cited in An introduction to developmental psychology book, chapter 6, page 159). Main and Hense (1990) established that there are infants who could be less disorganised in situations when the caregiver lost someone or had a shock that did not get over it.
Moreover, findings from Ainsworth Bell and Stayton (1971, 1974), suggest that the caregivers who respond to their infants with love are more likely to be in the category of secure attachment. The mothers who keep away from their babies and do not give them any attention, with this behaviour lead their infants into category of insecure-avoidant attachment. Disorganised infants when they are trying to get attention from their caregiver they fail and cause of this they have strange behaviors (Main and Solomon 1986, 1990). Furthermore, the only thing those disorganised infants have similar with avoidance and resistant infants is the strange behaviour when they want to achieve something (Main and Solomon 1986). For the reason that there is no sufficient explanation about disorganisation, it is considered into seven groups. The first one is chronological or 2) having negative behaviour, 3) doing episodic movements such as when the infant is following a person who has no relation with, 4) doing irregular movements, 5) being confused and staying in one place without making any movements 6) showing frightened when the caregiver want to hold him up 7) making actions with his hands on his face in order to achieve the attention of the caregiver to come back (cited in Attachment and Development book, Part I, chapter 2, page 25-26 and from An introduction to developmental psychology, chapter 6, page 159-160).
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Another factor which categorise infants as disorganised, is that mothers are not defensive their babies but they are abusing them. A study which was contacted by Carlson et al., (1989) found that the 80 per cent of the babies who were treated with cruelty by their caregivers, the 20 per cent was categorized in the group of disorganised/disoriented infants (cited in Attachment and Development book, Part I, chapter 2, page 121).
A study was contacted with the use of Main and Solomons studies about the disorganised/disoriented infants, in a way to re-research the type D attachment by testing 12 months old infants. There were two groups, the first one was contained with infants who had been badly treated and the other group was consisted with infants who were not been treated with cruelty. The results showed that 82 per cent of the infants who had been badly treated were disoriented in contrast with the other group that only the 19 per cent has type D. Also the maltreated infants are more likely to be insecure and being afraid of their caregivers.
To conclude, infants need love and in this crucial period there are being through they want to have a strong attachment with their mother or caregiver so they can depend on her to explore or as the place where the baby will feel safe when he is distressed. Type D is a complex type of attachment that’s why this type of children acts strangely in bizarre situations. The experiences they get from their caregivers behaviour play a major role for children’s attachment. The treated that the caregiver gives to her baby, if having depression, a loss of person or a shock that the caregiver had and does not get over it are some significant factors which lead to this type of attachment.
References
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Susan Goldberg (2000), Attachment Development , Texts in Developmental psychology.
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Peter K. Smith, Helen Cowie, Mark Blades (2003), Understanding Childrens Development Fourth edition, Blackwell.
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Alan Slater and Gavin Bremner (2006), An introduction to Developmental Psychology Fourth edition, Blackwell.
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Vicki Carlson, Dante Cicchetti, Douglas Barnett, Karen Braunwald (1989), Disorganized/Disoriented Attachment Relationships in Maltreated Infants, Developmental Psychology Vol. 25, No. 4, 525-531.
