The Effects of Parental and Peer Attachment on University Adjustment among First-Year Undergraduate Students

Abstract

Entering university is a life transition for young adults who have to relocate away from their homes as well as deal with a wide range of problems and challenges in their new environment. This is especially the case for first-year undergraduate students. Past studies have found that perceived attachment to parents and peers primarily contributed to a successful transition among young adults enrolling in universities. Parental attachment provides a foundation for positive social relationships at university while social support from peers can help freshmen to quickly adapt to their new environment. Survey data using a purposive sampling technique were collected from 267 freshmen (average age = 20.81 years; 62.5% females) from four top public universities in Malaysia. First-year students who reported a higher level of parental attachment experienced a lower level of adjustment to university. This study also revealed that a higher level of peer attachment contributed to a greater level of adjustment to university. The results showed that peer attachment is the stronger predictor for university adjustment than parental attachment. The findings provided insights to interested parties such as policy makers in educational institutions in order to develop a better learning climate such as peer interactions or peer teaching programs to assist first-year students in making successful transitions to their life at university.

Peer-Peer Cultural Value Mismatch in the Dormitory During the Transition to College: Antecedents and Correlates

“…Peer relations have emerged as an important factor, especially for first-generation students. Poor peer relations contribute to negative adjustment outcomes for all college students ( Gan et al, 2019 ; Juang et al, 2016 ; Maunder, 2018 ; Sadoughi & Hesampour, 2016 ). However, the contribution is greater for first-generation college students ( Dennis et al, 2005 ; Jenkins et al, 2013 ; Posselt & Lipson, 2016 ), including those residing at college ( Sriram et al, 2020 ).…”