Reactive Attachment Disorder and Cognitive, Affective and Behavioral Dimensions of Moral Development

This study investigated the relationship between reactive attachment disorder (RAD) and the three dimensions of moral development: cognitive, affective and behavioral, Case vignettes were used to assess moral development of typical children (n = 35), and children with a history of adoptive or foster care who did (n = 20) and did not (n = 18) meet the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text: Revision (DSM-IV-TR; APA, 2000) diagnostic criteria for RAD. Several multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVAs) were conducted with group (RAD, Non-RAD, and control) and the dimensions of moral development, Results indicated that children with RAD exhibit more concern for external punishment and find unrealistic solutions to transgressions compared to the control group. Results are explained utilizing attachment theory children's temperament and characteristics of RAD.