ADRENOCORTICAL RESPONSES TO THE STRANGE SITUATION IN INFANTS WITH DISORGANIZED DISORIENTED ATTACHMENT RELATIONSHIPS

Salivary cortisol levels were assessed in 19-month-old infants followi ng the Ainsworth Strange Situation procedure. 38 infants participating in Project STEEP at the University of Minnesota served as subjects. P roject STEEP is a longitudinal intervention program designed to promot e healthy parent-child relationships and to prevent emotional problems among children born to mothers who are at high risk for parenting pro blems. Following the Strange Situation, saliva samples were collected and assayed for cortisol, a steroid hormone frequently examined in stu dies of stress. Behavior during the Strange Situation was coded by tra ined coders, and attachment classifications were determined for each i nfant. Cortisol concentrations did not differ between the 6 Avoidant/R esistant (A/C) and 17 Securely Attached (B) toddlers. Toddlers (n = 11 ) who were classified as having Disorganized/Disoriented (Type D) atta chments exhibited higher cortisol concentrations than toddlers in the traditional (ABC) classifications. Results of this study were consiste nt with a model of stress reactivity that conceptualizes the organizat ion of coping behaviors as a factor that mediates physiological stress responses.