1. LITERATURE REVIEW
OF
TEN RESEARCH STUDIES
IS THERE A CONNECTION BETWEEN
ATTACHMENT DISORDERS
AND
PSYCHOPATHY?

2. DEFINITIONS
Psychopathy: “a personality disorder
characterized by a constellation
of traits including interpersonal
affective features and antisocial
features” (Gao, Raine, Chan,
Venables, & Mednick, 2010).
Attachment Disorder: Demonstrated by an
inability to have close
relationships.

3. Definitions continued
Reflective Functioning: An ability to see and
think about mental states in oneself and
others (Bouchard, et al. 2008).

4. Research Study
#1
by Becker-Weidman, 2009
Effects of Early Maltreatment on
Development: A Descriptive Study
using the Vineland Adaptive Scales II

5. Effects of Early Maltreatment on
Development
Determined that adopted and
foster children showed a lower
average developmental age (4.4
years vs actual average age of 9.9
years), and that there is a higher
prevalence of Posttraumatic Stress
Disorder with this population

6. Challenges with this Study
Small sample size
Participants already identified as at-risk
Results gained from self-reports

7. Research Study
#2
Abrams, Rifkin, & Hesse, 2009.
Examining the Rule of Parental
Frightened/Frightening Subtypes in
Predicting Disorganized Attachment
within a Brief Observational Procedure.

8. Examining the Role of Parental
Frightened/Frightening Subtypes in
Predicting Disorganized Attachment
Showed that dissociative
problems among mothers
have children with a higher
level of disorganizational
attachment.

9. Challenges with this Study
Participants were psychology students
Sample made up of mostly Caucasians
Results from self-reports

10. Research Study
#3
Bouchard, et al. 2008
Mentalization in Adult Attachment
Narratives: Reflective Functioning,
Mental States, and Affect Elaboration
Compared

11. Mentalization in Adult Attachment
Narratives
Proved that mothers with
low reflective functioning
had a correlation with
children with Axis I and Axis
II diagnoses.

12. Challenges with this Study
Small sample size
Participants identified as at-risk
Participants were psychology students
Sample largely Caucasian
Results from self-reports

13. Research Study
#4
Doron, Moulding, Kyrios,
Nedeljkovik, Mikulincer, 2009
Adult Attachment Insecurities are
Related to Obsessive Compulsive
Phenomena

14. Adult Attachment Insecurities
Demonstrated that there is a
correlation between
Obsessive Compulsive
Disorder and avoidant and
anxious attachment styles.

15. Challenges with the Study
Participants were psychology students
Sample largely Caucasian
Results from self-reports
Early attachment styles not measured

16. Research Study
#5
Gao, Raine, Chan, Venables, &
Mednick, 2010
Early Maternal and Paternal Bonding,
Childhood Physical Abuse, and Adult
Psychological Functioning

17. Early Maternal and Paternal Bonding
Found that psychopathy
scores were higher
among those who had
experienced a lack of
attachment.

18. Challenges with this Study
Unable to distinguish between genetic
influences and social experiences.
Results from self-reports

19. Research Study
#6
Johnson, Lui, & Cohen, 2011
Parenting Behaviours Associated with
the Development of Adaptive and
Maladaptive Offspring Personality
Traits.

20. Parenting Behaviours
Discovered that paternal
bonding is important in
healthy childrearing, and
that behavior modification
in parents leads to healthier
children.

21. Challenges with this Study
Results from self-reports
Fathers not directly interviewed, mothers
provided the information required for the
study.

22. Research Study
#7
Wei, Vogel, Tsun- Yao, & Zakalik,
2005
Adult Attachment, Affect Regulation,
Negative Mood, and Interpersonal
Problems: The Mediating Roles of Emotional
Reactivity and Emotional Cutoff.

23. Adult Attachment, Affect Regulation,
Negative Mood, and Interpersonal
Problems
At-risk mothers have a lower
level of self-confidence
about child-rearing, which
leads to depression in the
mother and poor bonding
with infants.

24. Challenges with this Study
Results from self-reports
Few participants from ethnic minority groups
Participants were students
Most participants were female

25. Research Study
#8
Wei, Heppner, Russell, & Young,
2008
Maladaptive Perfectionism and
Ineffective Coping as Mediators
between Attachment and Future
Depression.

26. Maladaptive Perfectionism and
Ineffective Coping as Mediators
Explored the possibility of
attachment styles being
mediating factors in
future mental health
challenges.

27. Challenges with this Study
Results are from self-reports
Participants young, Caucasian students

28. Research Study
#9
Lopez & Hsu, 2002
Further Validation of a Measure of
Parent-Adult Attachment Style.

29. Further Validation of a Measure of
Parent-Adult Attachment Style
While studying parent-adult
attachment styles, these researchers
found that most had a healthy
attachment style. Those who had
attachment difficulties with only one
parent, showed the same amount of
maladaptive behavior as those who
had difficulties with both parents.

30. Challenges with this Study
Results from self-reports
Gender imbalance
Participants were students from a single college
Students from divorced/separated families were
overrepresented
Small sample size

31. Research Study
#10
Mikulincer, Ein-Dor, Solomon &
Shaver, 2011
Trajectories of Attachment Insecurities over
a 17-Year Period: A Latent Growth Curve
Analysis of the Impact of War Captivity and
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.

32. Trajectories of Attachment
This study researched the effects on
prisoners of war and attachment style
and posttraumatic stress disorder. The
control group was made up of those
soldiers who had not been captured.
The POWs showed an increased
disturbance of attachment styles and
PTSD.

33. Challenges with this Study
Results from self-reports
Results were not taken either before or
immediately after war

34. Future Research Opportunities
Use larger, more diverse samplings
Research specific definition of Attachment
Disorders
Discern specific causes of Attachment Disorders
Develop observational testing to back up self-
reports
Research those who are not already at-risk