http://www.loc.gov/mods/v3 http://www.loc.gov/standards/mods/v3/mods-3-2.xsd
Earned secure attachment in young adulthood
adjustment and relationship satisfaction
viii, 109 leaves : illustrations ; 28 cm.
Although attachment theory has generated a prolific amount of research, this study is one of few to examine "earned security" - the attachment of individuals who had negative early experiences that are more consistent with insecure attachment yet, in adulthood, have secure attachment orientations. Little is known about earned secure individuals. Are they similar to normative secure individuals with whom they share their current attachment style? Or are they more similar to insecure individuals with whom they share common childhood experiences? This study examined self-reported adjustment and relationship satisfaction in a college age sample to begin to answer these questions. The Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) and the Adult Attachment Questionnaire (AAQ) as well as adjustment and relationship satisfaction measures were administered to 180 individuals in dating relationships. Earned security was defined as having a secure attachment orientation and having experienced either negative parenting or a high degree of stressful life events during childhood. Earned secure individuals often had adjustment and relationship satisfaction scores comparable to normative secures and higher than insecures. However, several unique effects were found depending on how earned security was defined. Earned secure individuals with a history of stressful life events were more likely to be resilient than those with a history of negative parenting. There were several significant interactions between the AAQ attachment dimensions and parenting experiences for adjustment outcome. These results suggest that early attachment experiences and current attachment orientation both contribute to adjustment and relationship satisfaction.
Issued also on microfiche from University Microfilm Inc.
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 66-78).