predictors of changing attachment security from 14 to 24: autonomy struggles, supportive behaviors...
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Predictors of Changing Attachment Security From 14 to 24: Autonomy Struggles, Supportive Behaviors
& Parental Marital Quality
Joseph P. AllenJoseph S. Tan
Leah A. Grande
University of Virginia
We gratefully acknowledge grant support from NIMH & NICHD (2R01HD058305 & R01-MH58066).
Copies of related papers are available at:WWW.TEENRESEARCH.ORG
Collaborators:Maryfrances Porter, Ph.D.Kathleen McElhaney, Ph.D.Emily LoebJessica KanskyLauren Elreda, Ph.D.
Farah Williams, Ph.D.Chris Hafen, Ph.D.Megan SchadLauren CannavoRachel Narr
Christy McFarland, Ph.D.Emily Marston, Ph.D.Erin Miga, Ph.D.Amanda Hare, Ph.D.Elie Hessel
Predicting Adult Attachment:Why We Care
Powerful Links to:
• Security of Infant Offspring (Caregiving)• Psychological Health• Marital Relationship Quality• Career Satisfaction
What Predicts Change In Attachment Security from Adolescence to Adulthood?
Developmental Perspective
• Relative Decrease in Role of Parental Support
• Developing Adolescent Autonomy & Peer Focus
Contextual Factors
• Income & Gender
Preliminary Question
Does Attachment Security Actually Change Significantly from Adolescence into Adulthood?
Three Types of Links to Security
1. Processes Going OfflineLinks to security in adolescence but not to future change in security.
2. Processes Coming Online No links to security in adolescence,but predict change in security from adolescence to adulthood.
3. Ongoing Transactional Processes Ongoing links to past and future security.
What WAS Important:
What’s BECOMING Important:
What’s STAYING Important:
Sample Adult Attachment Interviews with 175 adolescents
interviewed at age 14; Follow-up AAI with 149 at age 24
Intensive Interviews and Observations with Teens, Parents, and Close Friends of Teens
Equal numbers of Males and Females
Socio-economically Diverse (Median Family Income= $40- $60K)
31% African American; 69% European American
Attachment Security Ages 14 and 24
Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) (George, Kaplan, & Main, 1996)
1-hour semi-structured interview
Attachment security:• Reflects coherence in discourse about episodic and semantic
memories of attachment experiences.• Autonomy/balance in evaluating attachment relationships• While clearly valuing attachment relationships
Reliably coded using Kobak et al., (1993) Q-sort technique• Interrater reliability = .74 - .84 (Thanks to Kristyn Zajac &
Stephanie Madsen!)
Attachment Security
.44***
Stability of Attachment Security from 14 to 24
Age 14 Age 24
Attachment Security
BUT…Stability varies significantly across Gender
Attachment Security
.56***Attachment Security
Attachment Security
.28*Attachment Security
For Females:
For Males:
Attachment Security
.44***
Demographic Predictors of Attachment Security
Age 14 Age 24
Attachment Security
Family Income
Family Income is Going Offline Developmentally as a Factor Predicting Change in Security
.29*** .01
Attachment Security
.44***
Demographic Predictors of Attachment Security
Age 14 Age 24
Attachment Security
Female Gender
Gender is Coming Online Developmentally as a Factor Predicting Change in Security
.12 .19**
.42***
Parental Predictors of Attachment Security (Supportive Behavior)
Supportive Behavior Task & Coding System (Allen et al., 2001)
• 8-minute interaction task between parent and teen• Teen discusses a problem or question about which they could use help from
parent• Coded for degree of maternal engagement with the teen in the task• Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (reliability) =.81• Collected at Age 13
Attachment Security (24)
.44***
Parental Predictors of Attachment Security (Supportive Behavior)
Attachment Security (14)
Maternal Supportive
Behavior (13)
Maternal Supportive Behavior is Going Offline Developmentally as a Factor Predicting Change in Security
.23** .14
Adolescence Adulthood
Peer Supportive Behavior as a Predictor of Attachment Security
Supportive Behavior Task & Coding System (Allen et al., 2001)
• 8-minute interaction task between teen and closest friend• Teen discusses a problem or question about which they could use help from
friend• Coded for degree of friend’s engagement with the teen in the task• Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (reliability) =.79 - .82• Collected at Age 14 and 15
Attachment Security (24)
.34***
Peer Supportive Behavior as a Predictor of Attachment Security
Attachment Security (14)
Peer Supportive Behavior (15)
Peer Supportive Behavior is Both Predicted by Prior Security and Predicts Change in Security – A Transactionally-Linked Factor
.19* .25***
Adolescence Adulthood
Peer Supportive Behavior as a Predictor of Attachment Security
Attachment Security (14)
Peer Supportive Behavior (15)
A Transactional Process : Attachment Security Also Predicts Relative Change in Peer Supportive Behavior over Time
.18*
Adolescence Adulthood
Peer Supportive Behavior (14)
.10
.27***
Attachment Security (24)
.34***
.25***
Parental Predictors of Attachment Security (Marital Conflict)
Aggressive Argument Tactics from Conflict Tactics Scale (Straus, 1979; 1988)
• 5-items (e.g., insults, threats, etc.)• Mothers and Fathers both report about themselves and
about one another• Scores are summed together• Cronbach’s α =.85• Collected at adolescent age 13
Parental Predictors of Attachment Security (Marital Conflict)
Aggressive Argument Tactics from Conflict Tactics Scale (Straus, 1979; 1988)
• Reduces teens’ confidence that they can form positive relationships outside the family.
• Reduces their ability to do so.
Attachment Security (24)
.44***
Adolescence Adulthood
Attachment Security (14)
Marital Conflict (13)
Parental Marital Conflict is Coming Online Developmentally as a Factor Predicting Decreases in Security
-.14 -.24**
Parental Predictors of Attachment Security (Marital Conflict)
.40***
Parental Predictors of Attachment Security (Alcohol Abuse)
CA GE (Bush et al., 1987)
• 5-item, widely used screening test for risk of alcohol abuse (e.g., “Ever been annoyed with others for criticizing your drinking”)
• Administered to both mothers and fathers; averaged for two-parent families.
• Collected at Adolescent ages 13 and 16
Attachment Security (24)
.44***
Adolescence Adulthood
Attachment Security (14)
Parental Alcohol Abuse
(13, 16)
Parental Alcohol Abuse is Coming Online Developmentally as a Factor Predicting Decreases in Security
..01 -.14*
Parental Predictors of Attachment Security (Alcohol Abuse)
.42***
Parental Predictors of Attachment Security (Parental Psychological Control)
Child Report of Parenting Behavior (Schludermann & Schludermann, 1988)
• 10-item adolescent-report scale about parents
• Autonomy-undermining Behaviors (e.g., guilt induction, threats, etc.)
• Reports obtained regarding both mothers and fathers
• Collected at both ages 15 and 16 and averaged
• Cronbach’s α’s across ages and targets =.78 - .85
Attachment Security (24)
.44***Attachment Security (14)
Parental Psychological
Control (15-16)
Parental Psychological Control is Both Predicted by Prior Security and Predicts Change in Security – A Transactionally-Linked Factor
-.30*** -.26***
Adolescence Adulthood
Parental Predictors of Attachment Security (Parental Psychological Control)
.33***
Attachment Security (Age 14)
Attachment Security (Age 24)
Maternal Supportive Behavior (Age 13)
Hx of Parental Alc. Abuse
(Age 13, 16)
Parental Marital Discord(Age 13)
Parent Psychological
Control(Age 15-16)
Adolescent Family and Peer Experiences Predicting Attachment Security Over Time
Factors Predicting Baseline Security But Not Future Change:
Factors Not linked to Baseline Security But Predictive of Future Change:
Factors Linked to BOTH Baseline Security AND
Future Change:
Peer Supportive Behavior(Age 15)
.23** -.15* -.17*
.44**
.31***
-.30***-.21**
.20**
Female Gender
.16*
Total R2 (explained variance in) Adult Attachment Security
.391***
Total Multiple R = .62***
R2 change (from social predictors) = .151***
Multiple R for social predictors = .39***
Limitations Longitudinal Predictions ≠ Causal Pathways
No data on unresolved/CC status
Modest power to detect small effects
Copies of related papers are available at:
www.TeenResearch.org
Conclusions The attachment system remains flexible and open to environmental
influences…
• … not just through childhood but into adulthood.
Copies of related papers are available at:
www.TeenResearch.org
Conclusions Parents do still matter
But less as support providers and more as a solid launching pad.
Copies of related papers are available at:
www.TeenResearch.org
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