The major focus of this study was to investigate the association between adolescent
attachment styles and types of parent-adolescent conflict and anger. The study used
adolescent respondents (n=214, females=136, males=78), 95% of whom were aged 14
or 15. The methodology was a one-off survey design. An adapted adult attachment
scale with two dimensions, anxiety and avoidance, measured attachment. This scale
was used to form four adolescent attachment styles, secure, preoccupied, fearful and
dismissive. Family conflict was assessed in a range of ways, including general
measures of self-reported family conflict and abuse at home. Also measured were
general anger-proneness and depression-proneness. As well, adolescents responded to
four specific, hypothetical parent-adolescent conflict scenarios. The responses to these
vignettes included their reported emotions, conflict resolution strategies, expected
endings and post-conflict coping/risk behaviours.
Results indicated the presence of one major healthy and functional conflict-anger
pattern associated with a secure attachment style, and two major types of harmful and
dysfunctional conflict-anger patterns. Healthy conflict and anger involved secure
adolescents reporting they would experience negative emotions in conflict but would
still expect the conflict to be resolved well for everyone. Secure adolescents were also
less anger-prone and depression-prone generally than other adolescents, possibly
indicating their ability to regulate their negative emotions. The first harmful conflict
pattern, associated with preoccupied and fearful attachment styles, included relatively
higher levels of family conflict involving poor conflict endings, and even moderate
levels of violence. Preoccupied and fearful adolescents may have poor emotional
regulation, as indicated by their higher levels of general anger-proneness and
depression-proneness. The second harmful conflict-anger pattern was associated with
a dismissive attachment style and involved conflict with emotional distance and
coolness in the family, as well as lower levels of reported problem solving strategies
and good conflict endings. Results are discussed in terms of adolescent attachment
style profiles and the need to distinguish and assess attachment styles in families in
order to devise appropriate and effective interventions. Examples of primary,
secondary and tertiary preventative interventions are described to assist mildly to
severely conflicted, distressed or disengaged families.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/216606 |
| Date | January 2005 |
| Creators | Pearson,, Kaileen Leanne, n/a |
| Publisher | Swinburne University of Technology. |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | http://www.swin.edu.au/), Copyright Kaileen Leanne Pearson, |
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