Adolescents’ interactions with a best friend: Associations with attachment style

Weimer, Barbara L.; Kerns, Kathryn A.; Oldenburg, Christopher M.

doi:10.1016/j.jecp.2004.01.003

Cited by 58 publications

(63 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…Taken together, these results for loneliness coincide with prior studies across a wide range of samples that demonstrated the link between insecure attachment and high loneliness levels (Al-Yagon, 2007;Al-Yagon & Mikulincer, 2004;Qualter & Munn, 2002;Weimer, Kerns, & Oldenburg, 2004), although the constructs of peer-network and peer-dyadic loneliness were less investigated among adolescents. As argued by attachment theory, individuals' "internal working models" provide a general expectation of what relationships are like and guide individuals' later affects and behaviors in close relationships with significant extrafamiliar others (Bowlby, 1973;Waters & Cummings, 2000).…”

Section: Profiles' Links With Adolescents' Socioemotional Adjustmentsupporting

confidence: 85%

Adolescents’ Subtypes of Attachment Security with Fathers and Mothers and Self-Perceptions of Socioemotional Adjustment

Al‐Yagon¹

2011

PSYCH

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The study examined adolescents' secure attachment with both versus one parent, for deeper understanding of adolescents' perceptions of their socioemotional adjustment. Specifically, the current study aimed to identify different attachment profiles with father and mother among 203 adolescents aged 15 -17 years and to examine whether these profiles associated differently with their self-rated peer-network loneliness and peer-dyadic loneliness, positive and negative affect, and internalizing behavior problems. Descriptive statistics demonstrated that more adolescents were classified as securely attached to mothers than to fathers. No significant associations emerged between adolescents' sex and attachment classification distributions with mothers or fathers. Using k-means clustering methods, four distinct clusters emerged: secure attachment to both parents/to neither/to only father/to only mother. Tukey HSD and Scheffe procedures validated the attachment clusters, revealing significant inter-cluster differences on all of the adolescents' socioemotional measures. The current results also highlighted that the group of adolescents who felt securely attached to both parents was least vulnerable to experiencing socioemotional difficulties. In addition, secure attachment only to one's mother and not to one's father did not seem to act as a protective factor for these adolescents, with the exception of protection from peer-dyadic loneliness. Discussion focused on understanding the possible contribution of parent-adolescent secure attachment among these subgroups of typically developing adolescents.

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Section: Profiles' Links With Adolescents' Socioemotional Adjustmentsupporting

confidence: 85%

Adolescents’ Subtypes of Attachment Security with Fathers and Mothers and Self-Perceptions of Socioemotional Adjustment

Al‐Yagon¹

2011

PSYCH

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“…Rather than focusing on how the individual conceptualizes attachment relationships, this classification system examines cognitive, emotional, and behavioral reactions to separation, intimacy, and perceived abandonment. As will be expanded upon in greater detail in a later section, adolescents and adults classified as securely attached are found to consistently experience a greater sense of connection with friends (Weimer, Kerns, & Oldenburg, 2004), greater ease with self-disclosure (Mayseless, 1993) and more satisfaction and trust in their intimate relationships (Feeney, 1999;Fraley & Shaver, 2000).…”

Section: Attachment Representation Versus Attachment Stylementioning

confidence: 99%

How Do I Connect? Attachment Issues in Adolescence

Shumaker

Deutsch

Brenninkmeyer

2009

Journal of Child Custody

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Attachment formation is considered a developmental process that continues far beyond infancy and early childhood. Yet the research on adolescent attachment formation remains relatively modest. This article reviews the normative and pathological developmental trajectories of attachment during adolescence. Specific attention is focused on the assessment of attachment in adolescence and different classification systems developed to describe adaptive and maladaptive adolescent attachment. The review continues with an examination into the predictors associated with secure versus insecure attachment in adolescence. Finally, forensic considerations are explored.

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“…Though preoccupied teens tend to struggle socially, not all studies find significant differences in overall quality of social relationships between preoccupied versus secure adolescents (Weimer et al, 2004 ;Zimmermann, 2004 ). When preoccupied (and secure) teens are exposed to positive friendships, they exhibit lower concurrent risk for delinquent behavior (McElhaney, Immele, Smith, & Allen, 2006 ).…”

Section: Insecure Attachment and Emotional And Behavioral Outcomesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The majority of studies to date have not found gender differences with regard to distributions of secure, dismissing and preoccupied attachment representations, either as assessed via the AAI (Allen, Hauser, & Borman -Spurrell, 1996 ;Allen et al, 2004 ;Bernier et al, 2005 ; Cassidy, & Waters, 2006 ;Scharf, 2001 ;Seiffge -Krenke, 2006 ;Spangler & Zimmermann, 1999 ;Zimmermann, 2004 ), or via self -report measures of attachment style (Hazan & Shaver, 1987 ;Schindler et al, 2005 ;Weimer et al, 2004 ). Studies that have found gender effects indicate that males may display higher levels of dismissing and deactivating tendencies, whereas females may demonstrate higher levels of preoccupation (Bartholomew & Horowitz, 1991 ;Kobak et al, 1993 ;Larose & Bernier, 2001 ).…”

Section: Attachment Autonomy and Gendermentioning

confidence: 99%