Parent and Peer Predictors of Change in Attachment Security From Adolescence to Adulthood

Overview

Journal Child Dev

Specialty Pediatrics

Date 2017 Jun 2

PMID 28569384

Citations 24

Authors

Joseph P Allen

Leah Grande

Joseph Tan

Emily Loeb

Affiliations

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Abstract

Interview, self-report, peer report, and observational data were used to examine parent and peer relationship qualities as predictors of relative changes in attachment security in a community sample of adolescents followed from ages 14 to 24. Early maternal supportive behavior predicted relative increases in attachment security from adolescence to adulthood, whereas psychological control and interparental hostile conflict predicted relative decreases. Peer predictors of relative increases in security included collaborative and autonomous behaviors and lack of hostile interactions, with peer predictions growing stronger for relationships assessed at later ages. Overall, models accounted for sufficient variance as to suggest that attachment security across this period is well explained by a combination of stability plus theoretically predicted change linked to social relationship qualities.

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