Maternal Attachment and Cognitive Distortion of Muslim Adolescents in Juvenile Rehabilitation Residential Schools: Self-Regulation as Mediating Mechanism

Abstract

The increase in disorderly behaviors at the adolescent stage is a major dilemma for Malaysian society as the number ofcriminal cases committed by Muslim adolescents is increasing from time to time.These unwanted behaviors may be triggered by the quality of attachmentrelationships and errors in terms of the adolescent’s cognitive interpretation. Therefore,the aim of the current study is to explore the relationship between maternal attachment(i.e., secure and insecure) and cognitive distortion of Muslim adolescents inJuvenile Rehabilitation Residential schools mediated by self-regulation. Datafrom 440 Muslim adolescents (aged between 14 and 18) from the Juvenile RehabilitationResidential schools in Malaysia were examined using the structural equation model(AMOS). The finding indicated a significant positive relationship between securematernal attachment and self-regulation as well as the relationship betweeninsecure maternal attachment and cognitive distortion, while, a significantnegative relationship was found between self-regulation and cognitivedistortion. Moreover, the indirect effect indicated that only relationshipbetween secure maternal attachment and cognitive distortion was completelymediated by self-regulation. This study suggests that secure maternalattachment was associated with higher self-regulation, which, in turn, lowerscognitive distortion among Muslim adolescents. The results may facilitateimprovements of mother-adolescent relationship and reduction of cognitivedistortion among Muslim adolescents with the guidance of their self-regulation.