Disorganized Behavior Adolescent-Parent Interaction: Relations to Attachment State of Mind, Partner Abuse, and Psychopathology

Abstract

Disoriented, punitive, and caregiving/role-confused attachment behaviors are associated with psychopathology childhood, but have not been assessed adolescence. A total of 120 low-income late adolescents (aged 18-23 years) and parents were assessed a conflict-resolution paradigm. Their interactions were coded with the Goal-Corrected Partnership Adolescence Coding Scales. Confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated that the three disorganized constructs (punitive, caregiving, and disoriented interaction) were best represented as distinct factors and were separable from a fourth factor for collaboration. The four factors were then assessed relation to measures of attachment disorganization, partner abuse, and psychopathology. Results indicate that forms of disorganized behavior first described early childhood can also be reliably assessed adolescence and are associated with maladaptive outcomes across multiple domains. © 2013 Society for Research Child Development, Inc.