School of Public Health

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The collections in this community comprise faculty research works, as well as graduate theses and dissertations.

Note: Prior to July 1, 2007, the School of Public Health was named the College of Health & Human Performance.

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Subject: search.filters.subject.Attachment

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Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
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    The Role of Mothers' Authoritative Parenting in Adolescent Attachment and Social Relationships
    (2011) Beck, Kathryn Maria; Leslie, Leigh A; Family Studies; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    Research has shown the increasing importance of peer relationships for adolescents and a variety of positive outcomes for adolescents with quality, supportive friendships. The literature shows that both parenting style and attachment security influence adolescent social support. However, the mechanism through which parenting style influences adolescent social support remains undetermined. The current study, utilizing a clinical sample of 118 mothers and adolescents, explores the role of adolescent attachment security as a mediating variable for this relationship. Authoritative parenting is assessed using the Parenting Practices Questionnaire (Robinson et al., 1995); attachment using the Relationship Questionnaire (Hazan & Shaver, 1987); and social support using the Social Support Questionnaire (Procidano & Heller, 1983). The findings indicate no significant relationship between mothers' authoritative parenting and adolescent attachment security, but a positive relationship between adolescent attachment security and social support. The possible meaning of the lack of significant relationship for this sample is discussed.
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    PARTNER'S CONFLICT BEHAVIOR AND RECIPIENT'S ATTACHMENT STYLE AS PREDICTORS OF PERCEIVED CRITICISM IN CLINICAL COUPLES
    (2011) Savory, Kara Lee; Epstein, Norman B; Family Studies; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    The association between critical communication behavior exhibited by one member of a couple during a conversation and the amount of criticism that is perceived by the person's partner was explored. The study investigated whether that association is moderated by the degrees to which the recipient of messages identifies with each of four attachment styles (secure, fearful, preoccupied, and dismissing). The sample was 95 couples who had sought therapy at a university-based couple and family therapy clinic. Each couple engaged in a 10-minute discussion of a conflictual issue in their relationship, which was video-recorded and subsequently coded for constructive and destructive communication behavior, including criticism. For both men and women, the amount of actual criticism predicted the amount perceived. Attachment styles did not directly predict the amount of criticism perceived, but there was evidence that for both genders attachment styles moderated the relationship between the degree of conflict behavior exhibited by the partner and the amount of criticism that the recipient perceived.
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    Attachment and Demand/Withdraw Behavior in Couple Interactions: The Moderating Role of Conflict Level
    (2008-05-05) Opel, Katelyn Cogan; Epstein, Norman; Family Studies; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    This study examined the relations between clinical couples' secure, preoccupied, dismissive, and fearful avoidant attachment styles and their constructive, demanding, and withdrawing dyadic conflict resolution communication behavior. It also tested whether overall level of relationship conflict moderated the relation between attachment style and communication. The study was a secondary analysis of preexisting data, using a sample of 72 couples who completed assessments at the Center for Healthy Families at the University of Maryland, College Park. The subset of assessment material used for this study included the Relationship Questionnaire, Dyadic Adjustment Scale and Communication Patterns Questionnaire. Results indicated that attachment style was related to types of conflict communication behavior. Also, couples reporting low levels of conflict used more mutual constructive communication than those reporting high levels of conflict. Implications of the study's findings for therapeutic work with couples and suggestions for future research are discussed.
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    The Moderating Effect of an Individual's Romantic Attachment Style on Intent to Leave a Heterosexual Clinical Couple Relationship in Which He or She is the Victim of Emotional Abuse
    (2006-12-08) Treimel, Mark J; Hofferth, Sandra; Family Studies; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    This study examined the impact of emotional abuse on an individual's steps taken toward leaving a relationship and how individuals with different styles of attachment to a romantic partner differed with regard to taking such steps. Analyses of participant responses on the Multi-dimensional Emotional Abuse Scale (MDEAS), the Relationship Questionnaire (RQ), and the Marital Status Inventory-Revised (MSI-R) were conducted using analysis of variance. It was determined that abuse and being female were significantly associated with taking greater steps toward relationship dissolution. Finally, the interaction between abuse and attachment in steps taken toward leaving was significant among women, but not among men. Although attachment was associated with steps taken toward leaving an abusive relationship was significant for women, differences between attachment styles were not consistent with the hypotheses.