Effects of Attachment Styles on Adolescents

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine adolescent’s attachment with parents and its association with anger, life satisfaction and sociability. The sample of the study was selected from different high schools and colleges in Peshawar through convenience sampling method. Sample of four hundred (N=400) students with age range of 14 to 18 years and mean age calculated for total sample as 15.54 years, the sample further comprised of two hundred (n=200) boys with mean age of 15.05 and two hundred (n=200) girls with mean age of 16.02 years. Tools used in the study included perceived child parent attachment scale for mother, perceived child parent attachment scale for father, the clinical anger scale, sociability scale and satisfaction with life scale all were self-administered. Results revealed significant negative correlation between insecure attachment style and sociability. Results shown that adolescents who scored higher on avoidant and ambivalent attachment styles were positively associated with anger and negatively linked with secure attachment. While perceived child parent attachment had not a significant impact on life satisfaction of adolescents. The findings of present study revealed that insecure attachment styles were positively linked with anger and negatively linked with sociability among adolescents. Boys showed more anger score as compared to girls and there was not significant difference on sociability and life satisfaction scores among girls and boys. It is concluded that perceived child parents attachment styles plays a key part in the development of anger, sociability and life satisfaction among adolescents.

Keywords

• Attachment styles
• parenting
• adolescents
• anger
• life satisfaction
• sociability