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Attachment is an important aspect of parent-adolescent relationships, and thus it may play a key role in predicting adolescents' behavioral outcomes and well-being. This study examined how parenting dimensions (authoritative, psychological control, and over-protecting) relate to youth outcomes (self-esteem, autonomy, and friend attachment) by way of parent-adolescent attachment, among Chinese families. The sample included 298 Chinese adolescents ages 15-18 years (M age = 16.36, SD =.678 ; 60% female). A series of structural equation models was estimated to examine the hypothesis that authoritative parenting, psychological control, and over-protecting would predict adolescent outcomes as mediated by attachment. The best fitting model included only indirect paths from the three parenting variables to the three outcome variables, by way of attachment. In this final model, authoritative parenting was positively predictive of attachment, while psychological control was a negative predictor. In turn, parent adolescent attachment was positively related to the three outcomes: autonomy, self-esteem, and friend attachment. Lastly, parenting related to the outcomes similarly for boys and girls. These findings suggest that what parents do might relate to the well-being of their adolescents by way of the quality of their relationships with their adolescents.

The following study explores the factors associated with security of romantic attachment in Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACOAs). ACOAs are more vulnerable to inconsistent parenting and consequently are more likely to develop negative internal models of self, a stable construct that affects romantic attachments (Bowlby, 1982; Ainsworth et al, 1989; Bartholomew, 1990). This study examined associations between parent, and peer relationships as possible resiliencies. It was hypothesized that ACOAs will report less secure attachments with their parents (as measured by the IPPA), less romantic attachment anxiety and avoidance (as measured by the ECR-R), and no significant difference in peer attachment (as measured by the IPPA) when compared to ACONAs. It was also hypothesized that there will be an association between peer attachments and romantic attachments for ACOAs and not for the ACONAS. One hundred forty-three undergraduate students participated in the study. An independent T-test showed no significance for the initial hypothesis. The second hypothesis was partially supported, an independent T-test showed significant findings unique to ACOAs. ACOAs with more positive peer attachments had more positive romantic attachments.

Middle childhood is the least understood developmental period in the attachment literature, likely due to active reorganization of the attachment system during this stage. Coinciding with increased cognitive and socioemotional competencies, middle childhood attachment begins to transition from relationship-specific attachment to general attachment representations. While parents continue serving as the primary attachment figure used as a secure base and safe haven, noticeable shifts occur in terms of the need for availability over proximity to attachment figures and the child's involvement in maintaining the attachment relationship. Currently, there is no dominant conceptual or methodological approach for studying attachment in middle childhood. The present study sought to develop and validate an observational coding system examining middle childhood attachment using a dimensional approach. The Middle Childhood Behavioral Attachment Dimensions (MCBAD) system demonstrated mixed reliability and validity compared to other established attachment measures. Compared to traditional categorical attachment measures, this study provides evidence for the utility of an anxiety-avoidance dimensional attachment scale in childhood. Additionally, the MCBAD is the first observational system that examines both nonverbal and verbal attachment behaviors in an unstructured separation-reunion episode, and findings suggest a need for further examination of verbal attachment during this developmental stage.

Attachment strength of Listeria spp. and their InlA expression was assessed. Listeria monocytogenes 19111 exhibited the strongest attachment strength with L. monocytogenes 19115, L. grayi, L. innocua, and L. monocytogenes 7644 being the weakest. InlA expression was not detected in silver stained SDS gels but was detected in Western blotting images. Internalin A was only detected in protein extracts of L. monocytogenes 19111 and 7644 with band intensities of 50.1 and 2.5 pixels, respectively. Greater InlA expression was correlated with higher attachment strength in L. monocytogenes 19111. Listeria monocytogenes 19115 did not express InlA but it had a stronger attachment than L. monocytogenes 7644 which demonstrated InlA expression. Intensity of InlA expressed in L. monocytogenes 19111 increased when temperature increased from 10 to 40 oC, and L. monocytogenes 7644 only expressed InlA at 40 oC. It was also determined that InlA was more expressed in nutrient-rich media than in nutrient-poor media.

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Research conducted with the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) has provided a wealth of information regarding how adults behave in and respond to relationships. Unfortunately, despite the AAI\'s usefulness in assessing attachment orientation, administering the AAI requires intensive training, cost, and time. Because of this, a limited number of researchers are able to use the AAI despite the measure\'s demonstrated psychometric properties and utility for research related to attachment theory. The present study aimed to utilize the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count software to assess attachment orientation in the context of an attachment-based couple therapy, with the broad goal of potentially expanding our ability to measure attachment orientation in research. The results indicate that attachment orientation is a meaningful metric for analyzing individuals\' speech regarding their relationships in an attachment-based couple therapy. / Master of Science