Efecto del Maltrato Físico en la Calidad de las Representaciones de Apego Infantil en Chile: Resultados Preliminares

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to present preliminary results of a study analyzing the effects of physical abuse on the quality of attachment representations in children. In order to assess the attachment representation the Attachment Story Completion Task was used with de A.S.C.T. Q-sort coding system. The physical abuse was coded using the Modified Maltreatment Classification System. The results show that physical abuse has a negative effect on the quality of attachment representation. The children who were victims of physical abuse have a higher preference for the use of hyper activation and disorganization attachment strategies than non abused children. The results are discussed in relation to attachment theory and empirical evidence on this issue. © 2011 by Sociedad Chilena de Psicología Clínica.