Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 1, 2026

The Other End of the Leash: An Experimental Test to Analyze How Owners Interact with Their Pet Dogs
Published on: October 13, 2017
Identity in university students: the role of parental and romantic attachment
Marisa Ávila1, Joana Cabral, Paula Mena Matos
1Faculty of Psychology and Science Education, University of Porto, Portugal. marisavila@fpce.up.pt
Abstract:
In this study with 236 Portuguese university students, we examined two competing models for understanding identity. In the first model, the direct independent effects of parental and romantic attachment on identity were tested. The second model examined the mediating role of romantic attachment representations in the link between parental attachment and identity. The participants completed measures of parental and romantic attachment at the beginning of the freshman year (Wave 1), and a measure of identity development 18 months later (Wave 2). Structural equation modeling for the independent model indicated that identity is exclusively predicted by romantic attachment at this life stage, and not by parental attachment. Regarding the second model, our mediational hypothesis was supported, since the association between parental attachment and identity was totally mediated by romantic attachment representations. Both models presented adequate indices of adjustment, and provided a complementary understanding of the differential role that romantic relations play in contributing to explaining identity development.
Related Concept Videos
Theory of Romantic Attachment in Adulthood
Influence of Parents and Peers on Identity
Parental Influence on Identity Development
Parents serve as primary guides and managers in an adolescent's life, offering support instrumental in decision-making and personal growth. This guiding role...
Relationship with Parents: Attachment
Attachment Styles
Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification
Hazan and Shaver's Attachment Styles
