Parental Divorce, Attachment, and Self-Other Conceptualization Julia A
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Loma Linda University TheScholarsRepository@LLU: Digital Archive of Research, Scholarship & Creative Works Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects 12-1-2010 Parental Divorce, Attachment, and Self-Other Conceptualization Julia A. Hewett Loma Linda University Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd Part of the Psychology Commons Recommended Citation Hewett, Julia A., "Parental Divorce, Attachment, and Self-Other Conceptualization" (2010). Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects. 3. http://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/3 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by TheScholarsRepository@LLU: Digital Archive of Research, Scholarship & Creative Works. It has been accepted for inclusion in Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects by an authorized administrator of TheScholarsRepository@LLU: Digital Archive of Research, Scholarship & Creative Works. For more information, please contact [email protected]. LaMA LINDA UNIVERSITY School of Science and Technology in conjunction with the Faculty of Graduate Studies Parental Divorce, Attachment, and Self-Other Conceptualization by Julie A. Hewett A Thesis submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in General Psychology December 2010 © 2010 Julie A. Hewett All Rights Reserved Each person whose signature appears below certifies that this thesis in hi s/her opinion is adequate, in scope and quality, as a thesis for the degree Master of Arts. Chai erson , Associate Professor of Family Medicine, Associate Professor of eier-Randall, Pro essor of Pediatrics and Public Health David Vemleersch, Associate Professor of Psychology 1J1 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Dr. Kelly Morton who provided me with strong support and guidance throughout the process of creating my thesis. She has helped me to grow tremendously as a person, a professional, and a researcher. I would also like to th ank my committee members for their time, advice, and direction. It means the world to me to have the support of such caring and gifted professionals. To my family and fri ends, your love and support through this long endeavor has kept me trudging along. You have always had faith in me and encouraged me to pursue my dreams. Thanks to my father for instilling in me the virtue of hard work and determination and thanks to my mother for all those long distance hugs and words of support. IV CONTENTS Approval Page .................................................. .. .. ................... ....... ... ................................. iii Acknowledgements ........................ ................... ... .............................................................. iv List of Tables ................................................ ................................................ .................. .. vii Abstract ... .......................................... ............................................................................... viii Chapter I. Introduction .................. ................................................... ....................... .... .............. 1 Attachment Theory .. .... ... .... .. ............... .... .......................................................... 1 Definition of Attachment Styles ........................................ .......................... 3 Stability of Attachment .... ........... ................................................................. 5 Attachment and Self-Other Concepts ........................ .................................. 8 Divorce and Attachment ... .................................. ............................................... 9 Mechanisms of Divorce .......................... ................................... ...................... 10 Parental Absence via Divorce .................................................................... 10 Parental Absence via Remarriage ............................................ .................. 11 Parental Conflict ....................................................................... .. ............ .. 12 Financial Loss ...... .. ... ................................................................................. 15 Summary ......................................................................... ......... .. ...................... 16 Hypotheses .......................................................................... .............. .. ... ... ....... 17 Hypothesis I ................................................................................ ............... 17 Hypothesis II ............ .................................................................................. 17 Hypothesis III .............................. ............................................................... 18 Hypothesis IV ........ .. ................................................................. ................. 18 2. Method ..................................................................... ............ ................................. 19 Participants ...................... ......................................... ... ... .. ............. .. ... ... ........... 19 Measures ........... ...................... .. ........................ ..................................... .... ...... 20 Attachment ............................................................... .. ................................ 20 Self-Conceptualization .. .. .. ...................................................................... ... 21 Conceptualization of Others ...................................................................... 22 Demographic Controls ............................................................................... 22 v Parental Conflict ................. ... ...................................................... ..... ......... 23 Childhood Socioeconomic Statns ................ .......... .... ......... .... ... ... .. .... ....... 23 3. Resnlts ...................... ..... .. .. ... .......... .. ..... ............ ............ .. .. .. .. ... .. ..... .. ... ... .... .. .. ...... 24 Data Screening .................. ... .-:...1: .: ............. ................ .............. ......................... 24 Characteristics of Participants .................................... ......................................25 Correlations ..... ...... .. ............ .. ................. ........ ... ............................................... 28 Main Analyses ............................................... ,........... .. .. ...... .. ............... ........... 29 Hypothesis I ................................... ............ ............... ......... .. .... .... ............ ..29 Hypothesis II ...... .. ..... ... ... ... .............. ...................................... ............... .... .30 Hypothesis lll ........... ................................... .. ............. ... ............... ... ... ....... .3 1 Self-Esteem Mediation and Moderation .............................................. 32 Hostility Mediation and Moderation ................ .. ........ ... .... .. ......... .... .. .. 34 Hypothesis IV ......... .. ... .. ... ... ... ... .. ....... ... .......... .. .. ..................................... .36 Parental Conflict Mediation and Moderation ...................................... 36 Childhood SES Mediation and Moderation ......................................... 38 4. Discussion ...................................................................................... ............. .......... .41 Summary of Findings ... .... ............... .... ...................... .. .. .. ................... .. ........... .41 Implication of Findings .................................................. .......... .. ... ................ .. .44 Limitations ............................... ........................................................................ 45 Futnre Directions .. .... ... ... ... ... ......... ... ... ... ... ........................ .. ......... .................. .46 References ................................................................................................................ .... .... .45 Appendices .................................. ... .. .... .............. .. ... ..... ......... .................................. ... ... ..... 59 A. Attachment Measure ............................................... .............. ... .......................... 59 B. Self-Esteem Measure .. ..................... ............. .. ........ .. ................................. .. ..... .60 C. Hostility Measure .. ................. ... ................................... .......................... ............ 61 VI TABLES Tables Page I. Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria for Parent Marital Status Groups ........ .. .... .. .............20 2. Descriptive Statistics for Variables of Interest ...................................................... 25 3. Demographics ........................................ ................ ... ... ............ .. ..... ... ............ .... .... 26 4. Demographics by Parent Marital Status ................. ........... .................................... 27 5. Bi variate COlTelations for All Variables of lnterest... ............................................ 29 6. Multivariate Analysis of Covariance Results with Attachment and Parent Marital Status Predicting Self-Esteem and Hostility ........................ ... ........... ...... .31 7. Attachment Regressed on Sociodemographic