DMM and ABC+D-AAI coding systems compared: a study on an Italian sample

The assessment of adult attachment is a complex process that could be influenced in its results by both the theoretical model and the method. The aim of this research is to compare two different systems of AAI coding: the DMM (Crittenden, Landini, 2011) and the ABC+D model (Main, Goldwyn, Hesse 1982-2008). Recent studies in high-risk and clinical samples (Crittenden, Claussen & Kozlowska, 2007; Crittenden & Spieker, 2009; Crittenden & Newman, 2010; Shah, Fonagy & Strathearn, 2010) have suggested that the DMM may discriminate clinical population cases better than the ABC+D model. In particular, the ABC+D Disoriented/disorganised pattern (U/D), corresponds in the DMM to different and specific organized high-risk patterns (A+, C+, A/C), which are complex, extreme patterns with indicators of rapid shifts in arousal, useful for clinical practice (Crittenden, 2015). The aim of this study was to compare the DMM and the ABC+D model in the AAI coding process, and to explore their differences in discriminating low- and high-risk subjects. The results could be a boon for the use of the AAI as a guide in the organization of a tailored and effective treatment