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Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science pp 1–5Cite as

Disorganized Attachment and Reactive Attachment Disorder

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Definition

Disorganized-disoriented attachment denotes an insecure category of attachment characterized by an inability to maintain an organized strategy of behavior in relation to the caregiver following activation of the attachment system. Disorganization is thought to stem from an unsolvable approach-avoidance conflict of simultaneously being motivated to approach the caregiver for comfort and being alarmed by the caregiver, a phenomenon termed “fright without solution.” Disorganized attachment has been predicted by abuse and maltreatment and by frightening/frightened behaviors and hostile/helpless states of mind on behalf of the caregiver. Disorganization is behaviorally shown in a variety of fearful, odd, and inexplicable behaviors in relation to the caregiver, including simultaneous or sequential contradictory behavior, freezing and stilling, and direct signs of fear and apprehension of the caregiver. Reactive attachment disorder (RAD) denotes a very rare phenomenon whereby...

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References

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden

    Tommie Forslund

  2. Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden

    Pehr Granqvist

Authors
  1. Tommie Forslund
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  2. Pehr Granqvist
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Correspondence to Tommie Forslund .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Oakland Univ Dept of Psycholgy, Rochester, Michigan, USA

    Viviana Weekes-Shackelford

  2. Department of Psychology, Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan, USA

    Todd K. Shackelford

  3. Rochester, Michigan, USA

    Viviana A. Weekes-Shackelford

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© 2016 Springer International Publishing AG

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Forslund, T., Granqvist, P. (2016). Disorganized Attachment and Reactive Attachment Disorder. In: Weekes-Shackelford, V., Shackelford, T., Weekes-Shackelford, V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_1962-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_1962-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-16999-6

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