Attachment Representation of Institutionalized Children in Japan

This exploratory study represents one of the first attachment investigations of Japanese children who have been institutionalized. Mental representation of attachment was assessed using George and Solomon's (1990, 1996, 2000) Attachment Doll Play Classification System of the Bretherton et al. (1990) doll play story stems. Participants were 32 Japanese children aged 4—6 years old. Sixteen children lived in institutions, while the remaining 16 lived with their biological parents. No secure attachment was found in the institutionalized children, and disorganized attachment was more prevalent in the institutionalized children versus the comparison group. In addition, the type of disorganization was primarily constricted rather than chaotic. Implications for future research are discussed.