Dissociative Behavior in Early Adolescence: A Developmental Perspective

Society for Research on Adolescence Baltimore, Maryland March 11-14, 2004

Elizabeth A. Carlson, Ph.D. Megan Sampson, M.A. Karen Appleyard, M.A. Tuppett Yates, M.A. Anne Shaffer

Introduction
Disorganization/disorientation in infant attachment relationships represents a collapse in relational, behavioral, and attentional strategies (Main & Hesse, 1990). Early relationship disorganization places individuals at increased risk for psychopathology in middle childhood and late adolescence (e.g., Carlson, 1998; Lyons-Ruth & Jacobvitz, 1999). Psychopathological outcomes include internalizing and externalizing behavior and dissociative symptomatology.

Study Aims
Establish validity and reliability of 13-year observational ratings of dissociative behavior and related markers. Examine the links between infant attachment disorganization and dissociative behavior and disturbance in parent-child interactions during the transition to adolescence. Examine the relations between markers of dissociation in parentchild interactions in early adolescence and individual functioning in late adolescence and early adulthood.

Hypotheses
Attachment disorganization (12-18 months) will be related to behavioral observations of dissociation and related processes (e.g., controlling behavior) in early adolescence (13 years).

Measures of dissociative processes (13 years) will be related to externalizing behavior (16 years) and dissociative experience (19 years) in adolescence and hostility and violence in early adult relationship functioning (21 years).

Participants
Subsample of 66 participants (33 male, 33 female) from the Minnesota longitudinal study of parents and children (Egeland & Brunquell, 1979) Mothers of children recruited in the third trimester of pregnancy at public health clinics 60% of mothers were single at childs birth; 34% of mothers had not completed high school at childs birth Children were 68% Caucasian, 8% African American, 12% Mixed Race

Measures
Attachment Disorganization Ratings
Strange Situation Assessment (12-18 months)

Early Adolescent Behavioral Ratings

Parent Child Observational Task (13 years) Ratings of dissociative behavior, controlling or role-reversed behavior and affective dimensions

Ratings of Adolescent and Adult Functioning

Teacher report of dissociative behavior (12 years) TRF derived scale, Achenbach, 1991 Teacher/Mother/Self composited report of externalizing behavior (16 years) TRF, Achenbach, 1991 Self report of dissociative experience (19 years) DES, Bernstein & Putnam, 1986 Relationship hostility observational ratings (21 years) Relationship violence self-report ratings(21 years) CTS, Straus, 1979

Dissociative Indices
13 years
Simultaneous Contradictory Behavior
(e.g., aggression accompanied by dazed expression)

Sequential Contradictory Behavior

(e.g., rapid changes in affect or behavior)

Stereotypies, Non-functional Repetitive Behavior

(e.g., idiosyncratic repetitive behaviors)

Stilling, Freezing, Lapses in Monitoring

(e.g., prolonged staring, dazed expressions)

Sudden, Out-of-context Behavior or Verbalizations

(e.g., sudden violations of parents personal space, out of context references to traumatic or catastrophic events)

Correlational Results
Dissociative behavioral ratings at 13 years (intraclass reliability r = .91) were related significantly to concurrent teacher observations (TRF) of dissociative behavior. Infant attachment disorganization was correlated significantly with ratings of dissociative behavior (13 years) ratings of negative affect toward self (13 years) but not role-reversed adolescent behavior. Dissociative indices at 13 years were correlated with composited reports of externalizing behavior (16 years) self-reported dissociative symptomatology (19 years) observed hostility in romantic relationships (21 years) self-reported violence in romantic relationships (21 years).

Table 1 Correlations Between Dissociative Indices in Parent-child Interactions (13 years) and Antecedent, Concurrent, and Consequent Variables. ____________________________________________________________________________ Variable Dissociative Indices N ____________________________________________________________________________ Attachment Disorganization (12-18 months) Strange Situation Procedure Dissociative Rating (Grade 6) TRF Derived Scale Externalizing Composite (16 years) Mother/Teacher/Child CBCL Dissociative Score (19 years) DES Hostility Rating (21 years) Relationship Observation .49*** 49

.45***

66

.27*

65

.25*

65

.49*

26

Relationship Violence Self-report (21 years) .44* 31 Conflict Tactics Scale ___________________________________________________________________________ *p < .05 ** p < .01 *** p < .001

Regression Results
Infant attachment disorganization and dissociative indices in parent child interactions (13 years) significantly predicted externalizing behavior (16 years) and hostility in romantic relationships (21 years). Dissociative indices in early adolescence mediated the effects of infant attachment disorganization on externalizing behavior and relationship hostility in late adolescence and early adulthood.

Table 2 Summary of Hierarchical Regression Analysis Predicting Externalizing Behavior (16 years) from Infant Attachment Disorganization (12-18 months) and Dissociative Indices in Parent-child Interactions (13 years; N = 47). ____________________________________________________________________ Model 1 Model 2 ______________________________________________________ Variable B SE B SE ____________________________________________________________________ Attachment Disorganization Dissociative Indices 1.21 .42 .39** .70 1.55 .46 .69 .23 .34*

R2 change F for change in R2

.16 8.29**

.09 4.95*

Multiple R .39** .49** ____________________________________________________________________ * p < .05 ** p < .01 *** p < .001

Externalizing Mediation Model

Z = 2.62, p < .05 Dissociative Indices
13 years

N = 47

= .50***

= .45**

Attachment Disorganization
12-18 months

Externalizing Behavior
16 years

( = .39**)

= .23 n. s.

Table 3 Summary of Hierarchical Regression Analysis Predicting Romantic Relationship Hostility (21years) from Infant Attachment Disorganization (12-18 months) and Dissociative Indices in Parent-child Interactions (13 years; N = 20). ____________________________________________________________________ Model 1 Model 2 ______________________________________________________ Variable B SE B SE ____________________________________________________________________ Attachment Disorganization Dissociative Indices .41 .14 .58** .24 .48 .15 .23 .34 .44*

R2 change F for change in R2

.34 9.19**

.14 4.37*

R .58** .69** ____________________________________________________________________ * p < .05 ** p < .01 *** p < .001

Relationship Hostility Mediation Model

Z = 2.04, p < .05 Dissociative Indices
13 years

N = 20

= .55*

= .63**

Attachment Disorganization
12-18 months

Relationship Hostility
21 years

( = .58**)

= .34 n.s.

Conclusions
Dissociative indices may be reliably coded in parent child interactions in the transition to adolescence. Early adolescent dissociative indices are related significantly to ratings of infant attachment disorganization. Dissociative indices in early adolescence are related significantly to concurrent and consequent observations and subjective ratings of dissociation. Early adolescent dissociative indices may mediate the effects of early experience on later individual and relationship disturbance. Correlational and regression findings require replication with a larger sample.

References
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