Long‐Term Predictions From Early Adolescent Attachment State of Mind to Romantic Relationship Behaviors

Abstract

Attachment state of mind was investigated as a long-term predictor of romantic relationship competence. A secure early adolescent attachment state of mind was hypothesized to predict more constructive dyadic behaviors during conflict discussions and support seeking interactions in late adolescence and early adulthood. Utilizing multi-method data from a community sample of 184 individuals, followed from ages 14 to 21, adolescents with a secure attachment state of mind at age 14 were found to be in relationships that displayed more constructive dyadic conflict discussion behaviors and dyadic supportive behaviors at both ages 18 and 21. Results suggest substantial links between early adolescent attachment state of mind and the adult romantic relationship atmosphere an individual creates and experiences.

The modulation of facial mimicry by attachment tendencies and their underlying affiliation motives in 3-year-olds: An EMG study

“…Indeed, infants form attachment bonds with their primary caregivers [38, 39] from which long-lasting attachment tendencies emerge [40, 41] that prevail in future relationships (e.g. relationships with peers, romantic or parenting relationships) [42–44]. Different attachment tendencies are characterized by different motivations for affiliation and strategies to attain it [45–48].…”

Diseño y validación de la Escala de Medios de Resolución de Conflictos Interpersonales (MERCI) para adolescentes

“…A este respecto, la validez externa de la escala evaluada a través de las escalas adaptativas y clínicas del BASC concuerda con la literatura previa. El empleo de medios colaborativos se asocia con buena salud mental (Marceau et al, 2015), apego seguro (Fowler y Dillow, 2011;Tan et al, 2016) y con los rasgos de personalidad extroversión, amabilidad y responsabilidad (Yu et al, 2014); frente a los medios agresivos vinculados con carencias socioemocionales y bajo ajuste personal (Bravo y Herrera, 2011;Fowler y Dillow, 2011;Kalberg et al, 2012) ) o los medios pasivos asociados con sintomatología clínica (Wang et al, 2020), apego evitativo (Fowler y Dillow, 2011) e incom petencia social y cognitiva (Arias et al, 2020;Mayorga, Novo, Fariña y Arce, 2020;Mayorga, Novo, Fariña y Seijo, 2020).…”

Mother–Adolescent Dialogues and Adolescents' Behavior Problems in a Multicultural Sample: The Mediating Role of Representations

“…Studies of parents' sensitive guidance in another context of parent–adolescent daily conversations, namely problem‐solving interactions, support the notion that parents' sensitive guidance is associated with adolescents' coherent representations of their early attachment experiences (e.g., Allen et al., ; Scott, Briskman, Woolgar, Humayun, & O'Connor, ). Other studies provide evidence for the links between coherent representations of early attachment experiences and adolescent adjustment (e.g., Tan et al., ; Zimmermann, ), including fewer behavior problems (e.g., Allen, Porter, McFarland, McElhaney, & Marsh, ; Scott et al., ). Similarly, direct links were found between higher maternal scaffolding of emotional dialogues and adolescents' better emotional regulation during the dialogues (Manczak, McLean, McAdams, & Chen, ) as well as better adjustment of the adolescents (Bohanek et al., ; Fivush, Marin, McWilliams, & Bohanek, ; although in these studies higher paternal scaffolding was related to more behavior problems).…”