Related Experiment Videos
Stability and change in attachment security across adolescence
Joseph P Allen1, Kathleen Boykin McElhaney, Gabriel P Kuperminc
1Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904-4400, USA. allen@virginia.edu
Child Development
|November 30, 2004
Summary
Attachment security in adolescents shows stability but can decline due to factors like maternal enmeshment, depression, and poverty. Stressors impacting affect regulation predict these security changes.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
- Family Studies
Background:
- Adolescent attachment security is crucial for emotional well-being.
- Understanding predictors of change in attachment security is vital for intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine continuity and predictors of change in adolescent attachment security.
- To identify familial, intrapsychic, and environmental factors influencing attachment security from ages 16 to 18.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study of a diverse, at-risk adolescent sample (N=?).
- Utilized Adult Attachment Interview, observed mother-adolescent interactions, and self-reports.
- Data collected at ages 16 and 18.
Main Results:
- Significant stability in adolescent attachment security was observed over two years.
- Declines in security were predicted by maternal enmeshment, adolescent depressive symptoms, and poverty.
- Adolescents experiencing overwhelming stressors and poor affect regulation showed decreased security.
Conclusions:
- While attachment security is generally stable, specific stressors can lead to relative declines.
- Interventions should address affect regulation and mitigate environmental stressors like poverty for at-risk youth.