Predictors of Changing Attachment Security From 14 to 24: Autonomy Struggles, Supportive Behaviors & Parental Marital Quality Joseph P. Allen Joseph S.

Predictors of Changing Attachment Security From 14 to 24: Autonomy Struggles, Supportive Behaviors

& Parental Marital Quality

Joseph P. AllenJoseph S. Tan

Leah A. Grande

University of Virginia

We gratefully acknowledge grant support from NIMH & NICHD (2R01HD058305 & R01-MH58066).

Copies of related papers are available at:WWW.TEENRESEARCH.ORG

Collaborators:Maryfrances Porter, Ph.D.Kathleen McElhaney, Ph.D.Emily LoebJessica KanskyLauren Elreda, Ph.D.

Farah Williams, Ph.D.Chris Hafen, Ph.D.Megan SchadLauren CannavoRachel Narr

Christy McFarland, Ph.D.Emily Marston, Ph.D.Erin Miga, Ph.D.Amanda Hare, Ph.D.Elie Hessel

Predicting Adult Attachment:Why We Care

Powerful Links to:

• Security of Infant Offspring (Caregiving)• Psychological Health• Marital Relationship Quality• Career Satisfaction

What Predicts Change In Attachment Security from Adolescence to Adulthood?

Developmental Perspective

• Relative Decrease in Role of Parental Support

• Developing Adolescent Autonomy & Peer Focus

Contextual Factors

• Income & Gender

Preliminary Question

Does Attachment Security Actually Change Significantly from Adolescence into Adulthood?

Three Types of Links to Security

1. Processes Going OfflineLinks to security in adolescence but not to future change in security.

2. Processes Coming Online No links to security in adolescence,but predict change in security from adolescence to adulthood.

3. Ongoing Transactional Processes Ongoing links to past and future security.

What WAS Important:

What’s BECOMING Important:

What’s STAYING Important:

Sample Adult Attachment Interviews with 175 adolescents

interviewed at age 14; Follow-up AAI with 149 at age 24

Intensive Interviews and Observations with Teens, Parents, and Close Friends of Teens

Equal numbers of Males and Females

Socio-economically Diverse (Median Family Income= $40- $60K)

31% African American; 69% European American

Attachment Security Ages 14 and 24

Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) (George, Kaplan, & Main, 1996)

1-hour semi-structured interview

Attachment security:• Reflects coherence in discourse about episodic and semantic

memories of attachment experiences.• Autonomy/balance in evaluating attachment relationships• While clearly valuing attachment relationships

Reliably coded using Kobak et al., (1993) Q-sort technique• Interrater reliability = .74 - .84 (Thanks to Kristyn Zajac &

Stephanie Madsen!)

Attachment Security

.44***

Stability of Attachment Security from 14 to 24

Age 14 Age 24

Attachment Security

BUT…Stability varies significantly across Gender

Attachment Security

.56***Attachment Security

Attachment Security

.28*Attachment Security

For Females:

For Males:

Attachment Security

.44***

Demographic Predictors of Attachment Security

Age 14 Age 24

Attachment Security

Family Income

Family Income is Going Offline Developmentally as a Factor Predicting Change in Security

.29*** .01

Attachment Security

.44***

Demographic Predictors of Attachment Security

Age 14 Age 24

Attachment Security

Female Gender

Gender is Coming Online Developmentally as a Factor Predicting Change in Security

.12 .19**

.42***

Parental Predictors of Attachment Security (Supportive Behavior)

Supportive Behavior Task & Coding System (Allen et al., 2001)

• 8-minute interaction task between parent and teen• Teen discusses a problem or question about which they could use help from

parent• Coded for degree of maternal engagement with the teen in the task• Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (reliability) =.81• Collected at Age 13

Attachment Security (24)

.44***

Parental Predictors of Attachment Security (Supportive Behavior)


Maternal Supportive

Behavior (13)

Maternal Supportive Behavior is Going Offline Developmentally as a Factor Predicting Change in Security

.23** .14

Adolescence Adulthood

Peer Supportive Behavior as a Predictor of Attachment Security

Supportive Behavior Task & Coding System (Allen et al., 2001)

• 8-minute interaction task between teen and closest friend• Teen discusses a problem or question about which they could use help from

friend• Coded for degree of friend’s engagement with the teen in the task• Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (reliability) =.79 - .82• Collected at Age 14 and 15


.34***



Peer Supportive Behavior (15)

Peer Supportive Behavior is Both Predicted by Prior Security and Predicts Change in Security – A Transactionally-Linked Factor

.19* .25***





A Transactional Process : Attachment Security Also Predicts Relative Change in Peer Supportive Behavior over Time

.18*



.10

.27***


.34***

.25***

Parental Predictors of Attachment Security (Marital Conflict)

Aggressive Argument Tactics from Conflict Tactics Scale (Straus, 1979; 1988)

• 5-items (e.g., insults, threats, etc.)• Mothers and Fathers both report about themselves and

about one another• Scores are summed together• Cronbach’s α =.85• Collected at adolescent age 13


Aggressive Argument Tactics from Conflict Tactics Scale (Straus, 1979; 1988)

• Reduces teens’ confidence that they can form positive relationships outside the family.

• Reduces their ability to do so.


.44***



Marital Conflict (13)

Parental Marital Conflict is Coming Online Developmentally as a Factor Predicting Decreases in Security

-.14 -.24**


.40***

Parental Predictors of Attachment Security (Alcohol Abuse)

CA GE (Bush et al., 1987)

• 5-item, widely used screening test for risk of alcohol abuse (e.g., “Ever been annoyed with others for criticizing your drinking”)

• Administered to both mothers and fathers; averaged for two-parent families.

• Collected at Adolescent ages 13 and 16


.44***



Parental Alcohol Abuse

(13, 16)

Parental Alcohol Abuse is Coming Online Developmentally as a Factor Predicting Decreases in Security

..01 -.14*

Parental Predictors of Attachment Security (Alcohol Abuse)

.42***

Parental Predictors of Attachment Security (Parental Psychological Control)

Child Report of Parenting Behavior (Schludermann & Schludermann, 1988)

• 10-item adolescent-report scale about parents

• Autonomy-undermining Behaviors (e.g., guilt induction, threats, etc.)

• Reports obtained regarding both mothers and fathers

• Collected at both ages 15 and 16 and averaged

• Cronbach’s α’s across ages and targets =.78 - .85


.44***Attachment Security (14)

Parental Psychological

Control (15-16)

Parental Psychological Control is Both Predicted by Prior Security and Predicts Change in Security – A Transactionally-Linked Factor

-.30*** -.26***


Parental Predictors of Attachment Security (Parental Psychological Control)

.33***

Attachment Security (Age 14)

Attachment Security (Age 24)

Maternal Supportive Behavior (Age 13)

Hx of Parental Alc. Abuse

(Age 13, 16)

Parental Marital Discord(Age 13)

Parent Psychological

Control(Age 15-16)

Adolescent Family and Peer Experiences Predicting Attachment Security Over Time

Factors Predicting Baseline Security But Not Future Change:

Factors Not linked to Baseline Security But Predictive of Future Change:

Factors Linked to BOTH Baseline Security AND

Future Change:

Peer Supportive Behavior(Age 15)

.23** -.15* -.17*

.44**

.31***

-.30***-.21**

.20**

Female Gender

.16*

Total R2 (explained variance in) Adult Attachment Security

.391***

Total Multiple R = .62***

R2 change (from social predictors) = .151***

Multiple R for social predictors = .39***

Limitations Longitudinal Predictions ≠ Causal Pathways

No data on unresolved/CC status

Modest power to detect small effects

Copies of related papers are available at:

www.TeenResearch.org

Conclusions The attachment system remains flexible and open to environmental

influences…

• … not just through childhood but into adulthood.



Conclusions Parents do still matter

But less as support providers and more as a solid launching pad.



Conclusions Parents do matter

But less as support providers and more as a solid launching pad.

A crucial role, but NOT one that’s easy for parents!



Predictors of Changing Attachment Security From 14 to 24: Autonomy Struggles, Supportive Behaviors & Parental Marital Quality Joseph P. Allen Joseph S.

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