Attachment disorganization has enduring consequences for children’s socioemotional health. Although disrupted caregiving (e.g., frightening or intrusive behaviors) is a strong antecedent of attachment disorganization, much of its variance remains unexplained, highlighting the need to identify additional precursors. This longitudinal study examined the combined effects of mothers’ observed disrupted caregiving at six months of age, and their self-reported psychopathology, childhood maltreatment history, and sociodemographic risk, on infant attachment disorganization in the strange situation procedure at 22 months of age. Participants included 285 mother–infant dyads (52% boys; 80% white) from a Canadian pregnancy cohort. Sociodemographic risk (β = .15), disrupted caregiving (β = .27), and their interaction (β = .24) were associated with attachment disorganization. Sociodemographic risk was associated with greater attachment disorganization only at high levels of disrupted caregiving. Intervention strategies that address both caregiving behaviors and broader sociodemographic risks are needed to reduce attachment disorganization.

The current study examined the effects of attachment on autonomy, relatedness, and emotion regulation during an attachment interview (Friends and Family Interview; FFI) and a Parent×Child Conflict interaction (Family Interaction Task; FIT) in 49 adolescents (11 to 17 years old). Disorganized adolescents displayed behaviors promoting autonomy and relatedness less frequently and at a lower extent than organized ones in the FIT with mothers but not with fathers. Disorganized adolescents also showed a steeper decrease in heart rate variability (HRV) than organized ones, during both the FFI and the FITs. Moreover, disorganized adolescents responded with a more marked increase in skin conductance level to the FIT with mothers than organized individuals. Dismissing adolescents showed behaviors promoting autonomy and relatedness less frequently and to a lesser extent than secure ones, while displaying more often behaviors undermining autonomy and relatedness in the FITs. Dismissing adolescents also showed a more pronounced decrease in HRV during the FFI than secure and preoccupied individuals; no differences were found between these groups in HRV during the FITs. The results suggest that disorganized adolescents had more difficulties in regulating their emotions during both the FFI and the FITs, whereas dismissing individuals seemed effectively challenged only during the interview.