Reactive Attachment Theory

Reactive Attachment Disorder and Its Impact on Personality Reactive attachment disorder (RAD) is a complex disorder that severely impacts both the child and his personality in several negative ways. According to Mikic and Terradas, children with disorder have “primarily a disturbance in social relatedness, an early onset of abnormal social relating, and maladaptive behaviors such as excessive inhibition or ambivalence” (2014, p. 35-36). Also, when the child does not receive something he desires he may use “tantrums, running away, or aggression to express their sadness, fears, or frustration” (Purvis, Cross, Sunshine, 2007, p. 76) Though it is a relatively new disorder that can prove difficult to diagnose and treat, reactive attachment disorder
According to Lynos Hardy, the attachment theory, “suggests that infants are. . . primed to form a close, enduring, dependent bond on a primary caregiver beginning in the first moments of life” (2007, p. 27). Four primary attachment styles have been identified, which are secure, avoidant, disorganized, and ambivalent (TCU Institute of Child Development, 2012). A child with a secure attachment, which is the healthiest form of attachment, is bonded with his parents and will often cry when the parent leaves the room (TCU Institute of Child Development, 2012). However, the disorganized form of attachment is the worst form of attachment, and many children who have been maltreated by their primary caregiver display this form (Hardy, 2007). This type of attachment is often characterized by the child resisting, yet reaching for the primary caregiver (Hardy, 2007, p. 28), and “80-85% of children with a history of abuse” have this type of attachment (TCU Institute of Child Development,
When analyzing a child for RAD, researchers may request that the children take a self-report test to analyze the child’s personality characteristics (Hall & Geher, 2003, p. 145). Unlike children without RAD who usually score high in empathy on personality tests, children with RAD scored poorly in this area; however, these children’s scores in self-monitoring were quite high (Mikic & Terradas, 2014, p. 37). Additionally, psychologists often require parents to complete questionnaires about their child’s behavior and personality characteristics (Hall & Geher, 2003, p. 145). Psychologists can then use the child’s self-report test and the parents’ questionnaires to better diagnose RAD. Often times, the child’s answers on his self-report test contradict the parents’ responses on their questionnaires, which has suggested that children with RAD will often report their personality characteristics in excessively positive ways (Hall & Geher, 2003, p. 145). After comparing the self-report tests of children with RAD to those without the disorder, psychologists have found that the children with RAD often have significantly more behavioral problems than children without this disorder (Hall & Geher, 2003, p. 145). While most of the research previously done on RAD was quantitative in nature, researchers are beginning to use empirical research in addition to the quantitative research