THE SEPARATE AND COMBINED EFFECTS OF MOTHER, FATHER, AND PEER ATTACHMENT ON YOUNG ADOLESCENTS’ SOCIAL, BEHAVIORAL, AND EMOTIONAL ADJUSTMENT A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences of Ohio University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Science Rebecca L. Hellenthal June 2006 This thesis entitled THE SEPARATE AND COMBINED EFFECTS OF MOTHER, FATHER, AND PEER ATTACHMENT ON YOUNG ADOLESCENTS’ SOCIAL, BEHAVIORAL, AND EMOTIONAL ADJUSTMENT by REBECCA L. HELLENTHAL has been approved for the Department of Psychology and the College of Arts and Sciences by Heather K. Alvarez Assistant Professor of Psychology Benjamin M. Ogles Dean, College of Arts and Sciences Abstract HELLENTHAL, REBECCA L., M.S., June 2006, Clinical Psychology THE SEPARATE AND COMBINED EFFECTS OF MOTHER, FATHER, AND PEER ATTACHMENT ON YOUNG ADOLESCENTS’ SOCIAL, BEHAVIORAL, AND EMOTIONAL ADJUSTMENT (113 pp.) Director of Thesis: Heather K. Alvarez The present study examines the separate and combined effects of maternal, paternal, and peer attachment relationships on social, behavioral, and emotional domains of adjustment among a sample of young adolescents. The limitations in the existing literature are addressed by examining the unique contributions of father attachment, the individual facets of attachment in relation to multiple measures of adjustment, the mediating role of peer attachment in the relation between parental attachment and measures of adjustment, and the way in which gender-specific attachment relationships differentially relate to adjustment. Participants are 122 fifth and sixth grade students at a public middle school in rural, Southeastern Ohio. Students completed the IPPA, ICQ, PEQ, and RAASI. In addition, a teacher-rated social skills questionnaire was completed for each student and student disciplinary infractions were obtained. Results indicate that maternal, paternal, and peer attachment differentially relate to adolescent adjustment, the three facets of attachment (i.e., trust, communication, and alienation) uniquely relate to measures of adjustment, and gender plays a significant role in the relationship between attachment and adjustment. Clinical implications and suggestions for future research are discussed. Approved: Heather K. Alvarez Assistant Professor of Psychology 5 Table of Contents Page List of Tables ...................................................................................................................... 8 Introduction......................................................................................................................... 9 Foundations of Attachment Theory .............................................................................. 10 Internal Working Models.......................................................................................... 12 Ainsworth’s Contribution: The Strange Situation Experiment................................. 13 Contemporary Attachment Literature........................................................................... 15 Attachment Has Lasting Effects ............................................................................... 15 Measuring Attachment Quality with Older Children................................................ 17 Attachment and Gender Differences among Adolescents ........................................ 21 Attachment and Adjustment ......................................................................................... 22 Attachment and Social Adjustment .......................................................................... 23 Attachment and Behavioral Adjustment................................................................... 25 Attachment and Emotional Adjustment.................................................................... 27 Attachment to Fathers............................................................................................... 29 Father Attachment and Social Adjustment………………………..……………31 Father Attachment and Behavioral Adjustment……………..………………….33 Father Attachment and Emotional Adjustment…………………………………34 Attachment to Peers .................................................................................................. 35 Adjustment and Gender Differences......................................................................... 38 Limitations of Previous Work....................................................................................... 40 6 The Present Study ......................................................................................................... 43 Hypotheses.................................................................................................................... 44 Hypothesis I .............................................................................................................. 44 Hypothesis II............................................................................................................. 45 Exploratory Analysis III ........................................................................................... 45 Hypothesis IV ........................................................................................................... 46 Hypothesis V............................................................................................................. 46 Method .............................................................................................................................. 47 Participants.................................................................................................................... 47 Procedures..................................................................................................................... 49 Measures ....................................................................................................................... 51 Measure of Attachment............................................................................................. 51 Measures of Social Competence............................................................................... 53 Measures of Behavioral Adjustment......................................................................... 54 Measure of Emotional Adjustment ........................................................................... 55 Results............................................................................................................................... 55 Descriptive Statistics for the Sample ............................................................................ 55 Results for Hypothesis I................................................................................................ 57 Results for Hypothesis II .............................................................................................. 61 Results for Exploratory Analysis III............................................................................. 65 Results for Hypothesis IV............................................................................................. 66 Results for Hypothesis V .............................................................................................. 67 7 Discussion......................................................................................................................... 71 Father Attachment......................................................................................................... 71 Peer Attachment............................................................................................................ 74 Gender Effects .............................................................................................................. 77 Facets of Attachment: Trust, Communication, and Alienation .................................... 81 Limitations .................................................................................................................... 84 Future Research Suggestions ........................................................................................ 86 Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 87 References......................................................................................................................... 88 Appendix A………………………………………………………………………………97 Appendix B ..................................................................................................................... 103 Appendix C ..................................................................................................................... 106 Appendix D..................................................................................................................... 108 Appendix E ..................................................................................................................... 110 8 List of Tables Page Table 1 Descriptive Statistics for Study Measures………………………………………56 Table 2 Two-tailed Correlations between Measures of Adjustment and Attachment Figures……...………………………………………………….59 Table 3 Summary of Significant Correlations by Gender……………………………….60 Table 4 Summary of Hierarchical Regression Analysis Predicting Perceived Social Competence…………………………………………………...64 Table 5 Summary of Hierarchical Regression Analysis Predicting Antisocial Behavior……………………………………………………………...64 Table 6 Attachment Score Range for Assignment to Categorical Groups……………...……………………………………………………………68 Table 7 Percentages of Boys and Girls in the Low, Medium, and High