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Home living to military service: Attachment concerns, transfer of attachment functions from parents to peers, and adjustment
... Leaving home is a normative transition (Lane et al., 2017): a step toward adulthood (van den Berg et al., 2018) that marks the individuation process (Arnett, 2004) and redefines the family's role and status (Kins et al., 2014). Literature findings emphasize the influence of the parents-child relationship, family relationships, and attachment on leaving home (e.g., Akın et al., 2020;Flanagan et al., 1993;Kins et al., 2009;Mayseless, 2004;Mendonça & Fontaine, 2013;Seiffge-Krenke, 2006van den Berg et al., 2018). However, no authors have yet investigated home-leaving at a given time such as going to university. ...
... The start of university therefore raises questions about emerging adults' dependency upon and independence from the family. This home-leaving experience is different from leaving for employment or military service (e.g., Mayseless, 2004;van den Berg et al., 2018). An exploration of how home-leaving is related to family environment and attachment at the beginning of the first year of university should therefore foster our understanding of this specific independence marker. ...
... Starting university is a stressful event that activates attachment systems, especially among those emerging adults who leave home (Larose & Boivin, 1998). Security of attachment induces a better experience of home-leaving (Mayseless, 2004), as it allows individuals to respond appropriately to separation events . Seiffge-Krenke (2006) demonstrated that emerging adults who leave the parental home the earliest are those with the most secure attachment. ...
Going to university may entail moving away from home. Leaving the family household is a complex and important stage in the process whereby young people gradually gain independence from their family. The purpose of the present study was to identify different home-leaving profiles at the start of university, and analyze how they are related to the family environment (i.e., parents-child and family relationships) and attachment, adopting a person-oriented approach. Our sample consisted of 1,142 emerging adults who had just started university (70.67% females; Mage = 18.43 years, SDage = 0.57). Latent class and cluster analyses highlighted diversity in home-leaving, family environment, and attachment profiles. Participants with the independent home-leaving profile frequently returned to the family household. There were no family environment profiles with mixed scores. Participants with insecure attachment profiles had higher levels of anxiety compared with those reported in previous studies. A configural frequency analysis revealed three typical patterns and one antitypical one. Semi-independent home-leaving was linked to a supportive and positive family environment and to secure attachment, whereas both co-resident and independent home-leaving patterns were related to unsupportive, controlling, and conflictual family environment and to anxious attachment. Overall, these findings emphasize the specificity of the context of going to university and provide meaningful knowledge about the independence of emerging adult students.
... In particular, insecurity in relationship with parents may urge adolescents to rely early on peers due to a lack of support and bonding with parents (Weiss, 1991;Freeman and Brown, 2001;Kobak et al., 2007). In line with this view, research shows that insecure-anxious and insecure-avoidant attachment relationships are associated with premature attachment hierarchy reorganization in adolescence (Mayseless, 2004;Friedlmeier and Granqvist, 2006;Pitman and Scharfe, 2010). Some research suggests that specifically insecure attachment to mother, but not to father, is associated with using peers as primary attachment figures (Friedlmeier and Granqvist, 2006;Markiewicz et al., 2006;Pitman and Scharfe, 2010). ...
... According to the parental primacy hypothesis, adolescents who must compensate their insecure and unsupportive parental relationships by seeking early affiliation and safety from peers are at heightened risk for mental health, social, and behavioral problems (Markiewicz et al., 2006;Kobak et al., 2007). However, the peer compensatory hypothesis suggests that secure attachment to peers when parental attachment is insecure can potentially protect adolescents against some problems (Laible et al., 2000;Mayseless, 2004;He et al., 2018). ...
... Second, a variable-oriented study confirmed that adolescents with secure peer attachment showed high levels of prosocial behavior and empathy, even if they had insecure attachment to parents (Laible et al., 2000). Another study analyzed the reorganization of attachment hierarchy from parents to peers among Israeli male adolescents entering the army and found that those preferring peers as their attachment figures were more psychosocially adjusted, indicated by a sense of commitment, mastery, and concurrence with military ideals (Mayseless, 2004). Third, a study reported that secure peer attachment decreased the likelihood of being bullied at school in general, and especially among boys with insecure parental attachment (Murphy et al., 2017). ...
This person-oriented study aimed to identify adolescents’ hierarchical attachment profiles with parents and peers, and to analyze associations between the profiles and adolescent psychosocial adjustment. Participants were 449 Finnish 17–19-year-olds reporting their attachments to mother, father, best friend, and romantic partner and details on mental health (internalizing symptoms, inattention/hyperactivity, and anger control problems) and risk-taking behavior (substance use and sexual risk-taking). Attachment was measured with Experiences in Close Relationships – Relationship Structures (ECR-RS); internalizing, inattention/hyperactivity, and anger control problems with Self-Report of Personality — Adolescent (SRP—A) of the Behavior Assessment System for Children, third edition (BASC-3); substance use with the Consumption scale of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT-C) and items from the Finnish School Health Promotion Study; and sexual risk-taking behavior with the Cognitive Appraisal of Risky Events (CARE). Latent profile analysis identified five attachment profiles: “All secure” (39%), “All insecure” (11%), “Parents insecure – Peers secure” (21%), “Parents secure – Friend insecure” (10%), and “Parents secure – Partner insecure” (19%). “All insecure” adolescents showed the highest and “All secure” adolescents the lowest levels of mental health problems and substance use. Further, parental attachment security seemed to specifically prevent substance use and anger control problems, while peer attachment security prevented internalizing problems. Our findings help both understand the organization of attachment hierarchies in adolescence and refine the role of specific attachment relationships in psychosocial adjustment, which can be important for clinical interventions in adolescence.
... Furthermore, Bowlby (1969Bowlby ( /1997 proposed that changing one's attachment network from parents to peers was an indication of healthy adult development. Several researchers have explored networks, however, with one exception (Mayseless, 2004), the research examining adult attachment networks has Interpersona | An International Journal on Personal Relationships interpersona.psychopen.eu | 1981-6472 focused on describing the qualities of attachment networks and has yet to address whether the shift from parents to peers is an indication of healthy development. ...
... Hazan and Zeifman (1994) were the first researchers to examine the shift from parents to peers and, subsequently, several researchers have examined the shift in samples with a wide range of ages and ethnicities (e.g., Friedlmeier & Granqvist, 2006;Mayseless, 2004;Nickerson & Nagle, 2005). Each have reported results that support Hazan and Zeifman's original findings -when asked to report the top person in their attachment hierarchy, individuals begin to shift their attachment functions (i.e., proximity seeking, separation protest, safe haven, and secure base) from parent to peers in early adolescence and by late adolescence/early adulthood, individuals in romantic relationships were likely to report that their attachment functions were fulfilled by their romantic partner. ...
... Although previous research has explored the process of making the shift from parent to peer, we choose to focus on individuals who had already made the shift to a peer or had maintained their primary family network. To date, only one other study has explored the function of networks on adjustment (Mayseless, 2004), and the current study will be the first to explore the function of networks during a life transition. Bowlby (1969Bowlby ( /1997 suggested that moving away from parents and toward peers for fulfillment of attachment needs was an indication of healthy development. ...
An important cornerstone of Bowlby’s attachment theory (1969/1997) is the proposal that moving away from parents and toward peers is an indication of healthy development. In this study, we explored the benefit of the shift, not the shift itself, in a sample of emerging adults experiencing a stressful life event (i.e., the transition from university). Although the shift from parents to peers is an important cornerstone of Bowlby’s theory, this study is one of the first to test the differential effects of parent and peer networks on adjustment. In this longitudinal study, 73 participants completed surveys to assess attachment, social networks, and distress one month before completing their undergraduate degree and 6 months later. We found that participants experiencing the transition from university, who chose a peer as the first person in their network, tended to report stable scores over time whereas participants who chose a family member reported more variable scores. Interestingly, the direction of change was not different for the groups, just the magnitude of change. Furthermore, the difference in adjustment was not found when we compared the groups using the percent hierarchy method highlighting that there is a benefit of exploring primary attachment relationships when examining the influence of networks on adjustment.
... Studies indicate that attachment networks are fluid and dynamic in structure, changing over time (e.g. Friedlmeier & Granqvist, 2006;Mayseless, 2004;Zeifman & Hazan, 2010). The primary, or most important, attachment figure occupies the uppermost position above a number of subsidiary figures. ...
... In addition to age and romantic relationship status, theory (Ainsworth, 1985) and empirical findings suggest that attachment style is a key factor in shaping the organization of parental attachment bonds in the attachment network (Rowe & Carnelley, 2005) and the transfer of attachment to peers (Friedlmeier & Granqvist, 2006;Mayseless, 2004). Yet, because much research to date on attachment hierarchies is cross-sectional in nature, little is known about the extent to which attachment style explains parents' movement over time within the attachment network relative to individual (i.e. ...
... Friedlmeier and Granqvist (2006) found that adolescents high in general attachment avoidance and who reported more insecure attachment histories with mother, but not father, experienced less transfer from parents to peers over time. In a sample of Israeli men who had left home for military service, Mayseless (2004) found that men who were more avoidant sought parents less and peers more over 6 months. Although parents, in general, remain central in the attachment network, individuals high in avoidance might be most likely to create emotional distance from their parents or jettison parents from the attachment network over time. ...
Using a bull’s-eye hierarchical mapping technique (HMT), the present
study examined placement of parents in adults’ attachment networks
over time. We hypothesized that attachment style would
predict distance at which network members (mother, father, and
romantic partner) would be placed from the core-self over time.
Participants completed the HMT on two occasions, 12 months
apart. Concurrently and over time, fathers were placed further from
the core-self than mothers. Attachment style explained unique variance,
beyond that accounted for by individual and relationship
characteristics. Specifically, network members with whom participants
reported greater attachment insecurity were placed further
from the core-self concurrently. Mothers with whom participants
reported greater attachment insecurity were placed further from
the core-self over time. Unsatisfactory attachment relationships
with father and partner and those marked by higher attachment
insecurity were more likely to be excluded from attachment networks
over time. Findings suggest that attachment style, relationship quality,
romantic relationship status, and parents’ marital status determine
the placement of parents in adults’ attachment networks.
... Studies indicate that attachment networks are fluid and dynamic in structure, changing over time (e.g. Friedlmeier & Granqvist, 2006;Mayseless, 2004;Zeifman & Hazan, 2010). The primary, or most important, attachment figure occupies the uppermost position above a number of subsidiary figures. ...
... In addition to age and romantic relationship status, theory (Ainsworth, 1985) and empirical findings suggest that attachment style is a key factor in shaping the organization of parental attachment bonds in the attachment network (Rowe & Carnelley, 2005) and the transfer of attachment to peers (Friedlmeier & Granqvist, 2006;Mayseless, 2004). Yet, because much research to date on attachment hierarchies is cross-sectional in nature, little is known about the extent to which attachment style explains parents' movement over time within the attachment network relative to individual (i.e. ...
... Friedlmeier and Granqvist (2006) found that adolescents high in general attachment avoidance and who reported more insecure attachment histories with mother, but not father, experienced less transfer from parents to peers over time. In a sample of Israeli men who had left home for military service, Mayseless (2004) found that men who were more avoidant sought parents less and peers more over 6 months. Although parents, in general, remain central in the attachment network, individuals high in avoidance might be most likely to create emotional distance from their parents or jettison parents from the attachment network over time. ...
Using a bull’s-eye hierarchicalmapping technique (HMT), the present
study examined placement of parents in adults’ attachment networks
over time. We hypothesized that attachment style would
predict distance at which network members (mother, father, and
romantic partner) would be placed from the core-self over time.
Participants completed the HMT on two occasions, 12 months
apart. Concurrently and over time, fathers were placed further from
the core-self than mothers. Attachment style explained unique variance,
beyond that accounted for by individual and relationship
characteristics. Specifically, network members with whom participants
reported greater attachment insecurity were placed further
from the core-self concurrently. Mothers with whom participants
reported greater attachment insecurity were placed further from
the core-self over time. Unsatisfactory attachment relationships
with father and partner and those marked by higher attachment
insecurity weremore likely to be excluded fromattachment networks
over time. Findings suggest that attachment style, relationship quality,
romantic relationship status, and parents’ marital status determine
the placement of parents in adults’ attachment networks.
... Bowlby (1969Bowlby ( /1997 and Hazan and Zeifman (1994) proposed that adolescents and young adults shift attachment needs (e.g., comfort and closeness) from parents to peers as part of healthy adult development. To date, research examining adult attachment networks has typically focused on the structure of hierarchies (i.e., who is in the hierarchy, the order, and developmental change); however, one study (Mayseless, 2004) has attempted to address the proposed function of attachment networks. Using statistical techniques that simultaneously test associations among variables and control for measurement error, the current study expanded upon recent work and explored the benefit of the shift to peers in a sample of emerging adults experiencing the transition to university. ...
... They found that over a 12-to 15-month period, the majority of German and Swedish adolescents had transferred their safe haven, secure base, and proximity-seeking functions to a peer. Mayseless (2004) also used a longitudinal design to explore the shift in Israeli adolescent males leaving home for military service and found that the majority had shifted attachment functions to their peers but maintained their secure base functions with parents. Importantly, Mayseless found that peers who were in the same combat unit filled attachment functions. ...
... However, there remain significant limitations in the research. Studies were limited by only allowing participants to choose one individual for each attachment function (Friedlmeier & Granqvist, 2006;Hazan & Zeifman, 1994;Mayseless, 2004;Nickerson & Nagle, 2005) or by providing purely descriptive information on the content and structure of the hierarchy (Doherty & Feeney, 2004;Rowe & Carnelley, 2005;Trinke & Bartholomew, 1997). In this study, we measured networks using different techniques, allowed participants to list several network members, and, more importantly, explored function of networks using the established relationship between attachment and distress. ...
J. Bowlby (1969/1997) suggested that one aspect of healthy development included the shift of attachment functions from parent to peer. This proposal was tested in a sample of undergraduates and results suggested that there was no advantage for individuals with a peer network compared to those with a family network. There was, however, a difference in attachment–distress associations between groups. Consistent with previous research, attachment anxiety was positively associated with distress for both groups. Although attachment avoidance was positively associated with distress for individuals with a predominantly family network, avoidance was not associated with distress for individuals with a predominantly peer network. Discussion highlights two interpretations for these findings, which focus on the importance that attachment may have on the experience of distress as well as current research findings exploring the attachment–distress relationship over time.
... For instance, when children enlist in the army, they become busy and preoccupied with very intensive peer relations. In this process, children will likely move their attention away from their parents and toward their peers (Mayseless, 2004), and in order to integrate into and become part of the group, they might adopt thinking patterns that diverge somewhat from those of their parents (Blunt-Bugental & Johnston, 2000). At the same time, however, they still view their parents (in particular their mothers) as highly central in their lives and as their major source of a secure base (Mayseless, 2004;Scharf, 2014). ...
... In this process, children will likely move their attention away from their parents and toward their peers (Mayseless, 2004), and in order to integrate into and become part of the group, they might adopt thinking patterns that diverge somewhat from those of their parents (Blunt-Bugental & Johnston, 2000). At the same time, however, they still view their parents (in particular their mothers) as highly central in their lives and as their major source of a secure base (Mayseless, 2004;Scharf, 2014). ...
Despite the increase in research on shared issues among family members, less is known about familial thinking patterns and potential changes when a family undergoes a transition. The present longitudinal study aimed to examine whether family members share common thinking patterns, specifically regarding rational and irrational beliefs, and whether such a style is sustained in the face of a child’s leaving home and enlisting in military service. A total of 390 Israeli family triads (mother, father, soldier) participated in this study. Participants filled out the questionnaire four months before and six months after recruitment. Thinking patterns were assessed via use of the Attitudes and Belief Scale 2-Abbreviated Version. Rational and irrational beliefs across family and time dimensions were tested. Structural models were built, applying a multiple group comparison framework to assess the extent to which these dimensions were consistent. Specifically, as this study aimed to establish rational and irrational belief perceptions, measurement models were compared across family members and over time. Results showed a mutual structure between mothers’ and children's and common family levels of rational and irrational beliefs was found both before and after enlistment. Yet we cannot suggest a consistent triadic or over time structure in rational and irrational beliefs when the family structure changes. These findings indicate that families have common thinking patterns that change as the family structure changes while the central figures seem to be the mothers. These findings shed light on the contribution of parents to their offspring's rational and irrational beliefs system.
... depressive symptoms, anxiety, and physical symptoms). Mayseless (2004) examined the transfer of attachment function among male adolescents who were leaving their homes to perform military service. The results showed that the transfer of an attachment function (proximity seeking) from parents to peers contributed to a better adjustment to the military, which seems to be inconsistent with the previous findings. ...
... Nevertheless, some studies have reported no association between attachment hierarchies and maladjustment (Pitman & Scharfe, 2010) or the association between attachment transfer from parents to peers and a better transition to a new environment (Mayseless, 2004). One reason could be that these previous studies did not employ the IPI but other scales to assess attachment hierarchies, such as the WHOTO (Hazan & Zeifman, 1994) and the Attachment Network Questionnaire (Trinke & Bartholomew, 1997). ...
To assess young people’s attachment hierarchy, the Important People Interview (IPI) was developed based on Bowlby’s conceptualization of ethological behavioral systems. The present study examined the validity of the IPI in a sample of Japanese young adults (N = 472; Mage = 20.34, SD = 1.28; females = 53.81%), because Bowlby’s behavioral systems conceptualization has been assumed to be universal. Confirmatory factor analyses revealed agood fit of the IPI model with a Japanese sample. The ranking of the mother in attachment hierarchy correlated positively with young adults’ self-esteem, and the ranking of the father correlated negatively with their depressive symptoms. The absence of romantic partner; shorter romantic relationships; living separately with mother, father, and romantic partner; and less frequent meetings with the mother, father, and romantic partner correlated with the higher ranking of friends. When other attachment figures are unavailable, people may flexibly use friends to meet their attachment needs.
... Past longitudinal research, however, has not examined whether some, but not all, adolescents transfer their attachment figures from parents through friends to romantic partners. This is because longitudinal studies that have focused on adolescents' transfer did not distinguish between friends and romantic partners but combined them as peers (Friedlmeier & Granqvist, 2006;Mayseless, 2004). One longitudinal study with young adults focused only on changes in preference for a romantic partner, but not on changes in preference for friends or parents (Fagundes & Schindler, 2012). ...
... The former estimates changes in primary attachment figure(s), and the latter estimates an increase in the ranking of one attachment figure with a corresponding decrease in the ranking of another attachment figure. Previous studies have only used either one of the two approaches (e.g., Friedlmeier & Granqvist, 2006;Mayseless, 2004 employed the former approach, while Fagundes & Schindler, 2012; employed the latter approach). This study extends the literature by incorporating both approaches in a single study. ...
Although Bowlby proposed that adolescence is a major developmental period to transfer their attachment figures from parents to other people, no comprehensive longitudinal study on attachment transfer from early to late adolescence exists. This study employed 215 early to late adolescents between ages 11 and 18 years ([Formula: see text] = 14.02, SD = 2.05 at Wave 1), using a six-wave 2-year longitudinal design with four different cohorts: 5th, 7th, 9th, and 11th grades. Both person- and variable-oriented analyses revealed that once adolescents have transferred their attachment figures from parents to peers, they were unlikely to revert to parents in the future. The transfer of attachment from parents to friends is more prevalent in early adolescence than in late adolescence. However, throughout adolescence, friends were not considered to be exclusive attachment figures, whereas parents and romantic partners were. Finally, many adolescents spent 4 months or fewer until their romantic partner became the primary attachment figure.
... Embora esteja presente a possibilidade da transferência de todas as funções de vinculação de pais para pares significativos, são as funções de porto seguro as mais procuradas nos pares. Estes são capazes de fornecer apoio e proteção perante a presença de inseguranças e desafios a nível relacional, permanecendo as figuras parentais como base segura para o adolescente (Castellanos, Delgado, Fourtoul, & Sánchez, 2009;Fraley & Davis, 1997;Hazan & Zeifman, 1994;Mayseless, 2004;Meeus, Oosterwegel & Vollebergh, 2002;Nickerson & Nagle, 2005). ...
... Por outro lado, e como já referido, a presença de vínculos seguros sugere que os pares desempenhem com maior frequência as funções de porto seguro (e.g. Nickerson & Nagle, 2004;Mayseless, 2004), onde imperam sentimentos de respeito e ajuda mútua, e onde os pares são capazes de proporcionar apoio e proteção não só a nível físico, como emocional e social. Esta reciprocidade permite assim ao adolescente vivenciar as suas relações afetivas de forma igualitária, recorrendo ao outro quando necessita e prestando cuidados quando necessário. ...
La calidad del apego establecido con los pares en la adolescencia ha sido referenciada en la literatura como un factor protector en relación con la participación en comportamientos de violencia escolar. La presencia de una asociación entre el apego a los pares y el desarrollo de la autoestima podrá ejercer un efecto significativo como factor protector frente al bullying en la fase de la adolescencia. El presente estudio probó el efecto predictor del apego a los pares en los diversos comportamientos de bullying, así como el papel mediador de la autoestima en la asociación anterior. La muestra fue constituida por 351 individuos de ambos sexos, con edades comprendidas entre los 12 y los 17 años. El recurso a un modelo de ecuaciones estructurales permitió obtener resultados que apuntan a la existencia de un efecto predictivo del apego a los pares en los comportamientos de agresión y victimización. Se verificó la existencia de una mediación total negativa en la asociación entre el apego a los pares y la victimización, en particular en la agresión física. Se constató también una mediación parcial negativa de la autoestima en la asociación entre el apego a los pares y comportamientos de victimización relativos a la exclusión social y a la agresión verbal.
... Hazan and Zeifman (1994) noted that the proximity-seeking function is 'transferred' to peers in middle childhood, followed by safe haven and separation protest in adolescence. The secure base function is the last to be reassigned, and can still be carried out by parents during early adulthood (Fraley and Davis, 1997;Mayseless, 2004;Zhang et al., 2011). Further, the gradual affective investment in figures outside the family of origin does not involve parents being completely replaced as attachment figures; rather, they are relied on to different degrees for different functions (Trinke and Bartholomew, 1997). ...
... Research indicates that the attachment network changes across the life-cycle, tending to become more complex. Friends can be important for proximity seeking and safe haven but rarely become full-blown attachments, except when individuals attempt to compensate for insecure or conflictual attachments to parents (Mayseless, 2004;Nickerson and Nagle, 2005;Pitman and Scharfe, 2010;Rosenthal and Kobak, 2010). In early adulthood, the importance of friends tends to diminish, especially when individuals form committed couple relationships (Markiewicz et al., 2006;Rosenthal and Kobak, 2010;Umemura et al., 2014). ...
This study explored attachment networks in committed couples who differed in parenting choice and relationship status. Attachment networks were defined in terms of attachment functions, attachment strength, the presence of a primary figure, and full-blown attachments. Participants were 198 couples, married or cohabiting, either expecting their first child or childless-by-choice. Results indicated that participants relied most strongly on partners for all attachment functions except secure base, for which they relied on mothers to a similar extent. Furthermore, expectant women reported more proximity seeking and stronger attachments to mothers, while expectant men relied more on fathers for safe haven. Married participants indicated less proximity seeking to partners than cohabiting couples, and married women reported less reliance on partners for safe haven than married men and cohabiting women. This study supports previous findings underlining the particular importance of partners for members of committed couples. Further, it extends past research by showing the robustness of this finding across parenting choice, and by revealing gender differences in the attachment networks of committed couples.
... In this context, young Arabs seeking integration into the labour market or into higher education are especially vulnerable. They are forced to do so at a younger age than their Jewish counterparts due to a relatively high percentage of secondary school dropouts and the fact that they do not serve in the military (Mayseless, 2001;2004). For most of them, it is their first ever exposure not only to the adult world but also to Jewish society, which is compounded by the fact that they suffer from being less fluent in Hebrew, a lack of social networks, formal discrimination and informal prejudices (Yashiv and Kasir, 2012;Zeira et al., 2012). ...
... In this context, young Arabs seeking integration into the labour market or into higher education are especially vulnerable. They are forced to do so at a younger age than their Jewish counterparts due to a relatively high percentage of secondary school dropouts and the fact that they do not serve in the military (Mayseless, 2001;2004). For most of them, it is their first ever exposure not only to the adult world but also to Jewish society, which is compounded by the fact that they suffer from being less fluent in Hebrew, a lack of social networks, formal discrimination and informal prejudices (Yashiv and Kasir, 2012;Zeira et al., 2012). ...
Very little is known about the transition to adulthood and particularly the causes of high NEEThood (not in employment, education or training) rates among young Arab men in Israel. This article aims to analyse the main routes of integration into the labour market and postsecondary education among Arab male citizens of Israel. It is argued that given their socioeconomic and political marginalization, they are likely to face extreme situations of NEET behaviour. Using qualitative data obtained through open interviews with 20 young Arab males aged 18–22, the study analyses their past experiences, their present situations and their orientations towards the future. Three types of such orientations emerge from the study: future-oriented, fatalist and desperate. These types differed from each other in their willingness to aspire to career-oriented futures and in their adoption of pugnacity and individualistic future orientations. Those who are less able to demonstrate a pugnacious and individualistic orientation are more likely to either turn to available job opportunities that do not require intensive training and professionalization or often fall into NEET behaviour, thereby perpetuating the vicious cycle of poverty in Arab society.
... Only a few longitudinal studies on attachment preferences have been conducted. For example, Mayseless (2004) examined changes in attachment preferences over a one-year period in young males, aged 18 years at the first wave of the study, during compulsory military service. Although young males preferred the romantic partner or the best friend over parents in multiple dimensions (i.e., secure base, proximity seeking, and safe haven), a change in seeking proximity from parents to the romantic partner or the best friend was associated with their better adjustment to the new environment of military service. ...
... Although young males preferred the romantic partner or the best friend over parents in multiple dimensions (i.e., secure base, proximity seeking, and safe haven), a change in seeking proximity from parents to the romantic partner or the best friend was associated with their better adjustment to the new environment of military service. Because most participants in Mayseless' (2004) study did not have a romantic partner, her study combined attachment preferences for friends and for romantic partners. Therefore, her longitudinal study did not examine interchanges of attachment preferences for friends and for the romantic partner. ...
Only a few studies have longitudinally explored to whom emerging adults prefer to turn to seek closeness, comfort, and security (called “attachment preferences”), and previous studies on attachment preferences in emerging adults have focused only on the beginning of romantic relationships but not on the end of relationships. Czech emerging adults (M = 21.47; SD = 1.48) completed the questionnaire of attachment preferences at two time points, Wave 1 (Summer 2013) and Wave 2 (Summer 2014). Latent difference score analyses revealed that emerging adults who were not in a romantic relationship in Wave 1 but started a romantic relationship between the two waves (n = 97) and those who had a romantic partner in both waves (n = 379) were both more likely to increase their attachment preference for the romantic partner and decrease their preference for friends, whereas those who did not start a relationship (n = 185) were not. Emerging adults who were in a romantic relationship in Wave 1 but were not in Wave 2 (n = 69) decreased their preference for the partner and increased their preference for friends. In all the groups, attachment preferences for the mother, for the father, or for the family did not change. Multiple regression analyses further revealed that for those who had a romantic partner in both waves, their length of romantic relationship was associated with changes in attachment preferences for romantic partners and for friends.
... Findings revealed that the achievement of some adult criteria is related to emerging adults' type of living situation. Similar to previous studies, it was found that emerging adults in Belgium can be roughly categorized as co-residing with parents, living semi-independent, and living fully independent (de Jong Gierveld et al., 2001;Goldscheider & DaVanzo, 1986;Mayseless, 2004). Contrary to our expectations, achievement of various dimensions of adulthood appeared to be connected with emerging adults' residential status and not solely the achievement of individualistic qualities. ...
... Although delayed home leaving represents a salient trend in many (Goldscheider & DaVanzo,1986;Mayseless, 2004). Belgium suspended the military service in 1993, which explains why the semiautonomous status in our sample was largely confined to college students. ...
... In his early writings, Bowlby (1969Bowlby ( , 1982 suggested that a child develops a hierarchy of attachment relationships, whereby his or her collection of attachment figures is arranged according to the individual preferred in times of distress, or the one preferred as a secure base (Bretherton & Munholland, 2008). Over the course of normative development, changes are to be expected in the structure and composition of the individual's attachment hierarchies (Furman, 1999;Kobak et al., 2007;Mayseless, 2004;Shulman & Collins, 1997). In particular, it has been suggested that as committed romantic relationships are formed, the romantic partner may ultimately become the primary source of security and comfort, and may replace parents as the primary attachment figure at the top of the attachment hierarchy (Allen & Land, 1999;W. ...
... Perhaps as Hazan and Zeifman (1994) suggested, the main process of forming attachment relations with other figures outside the family of origin starts earlier than emerging adulthood-the earliest age period at which we included participants in this study (our sample included participants age 20 years old and older). This does not mean that the hierarchy stabilizes at this stage, as most adolescents do not yet have a stable, committed romantic relationship at this age (Fraley & Davis, 1997;Mayseless, 2004); only that the number of chosen figures at this stage (prior to emerging adulthood) is already similar to that in later ages. We speculate that had our sample included a younger age group (age 15-20 years old) we might have been able to show differences in the identity of the figures in the hierarchy with age. ...
This study was based on the attachment-security hypothesis (H. Latty-Mann & K. E. Davis, 1996) that predicts that all individuals, regardless of attachment style, should demonstrate a preference for secure partners who are most likely to offer attachment security. It was therefore expected that with the transfer of attachment functions from parents, who are mostly not freely chosen as attachment figures, to other figures outside of the family of origin, individuals will try to establish secure relationships with these new figures and to assign them a high position in the attachment hierarchy. Participants were 149 Israelis (97 women and 52 men 20-72 years of age) and they completed questionnaires related to their attachment relationships and network. As expected, with age the attachment hierarchy included a higher proportion of chosen figures (r = .38, p < .05), and relationships with chosen figures were characterized by higher security and lower insecurity compared to relationships with nonchosen figures with moderate to high effect sizes. In addition, the higher the figure's level of importance and centrality in the hierarchy, the greater the level of security with that figure (low to moderate effect sizes). Results were discussed in light of attachment-security hypothesis and correction versus replication processes.
... Research has also shown that anxious individuals express an increased desire for closeness after threat (Hart et al., 2005;Mikulincer, Birnbaum, Woddis, & Nachimias, 2000), with this effect being stronger for parental relationships (Cox et al., 2008). This may occur because anxious individuals often have difficulties transferring attachment processes to extrafamilial relations (Mayselessx, 2004), which could explain their increased desire for parents following thoughts of mortality. Building on this research and the results of our previous studies, Study 7 explored whether attachment style interacts with MS to influence perceived regard from different close others (parents, romantic partners). ...
... However, this conclusion appears to result from only examining close peer and romantic relationships. Although parents and peers can accomplish the same anxiety-buffering function in young adulthood for secure individuals (e.g., Fraley & Davis, 1997;Trinke & Bartholomew, 1997), more anxious individuals may rely on parents because they have problems transferring attachment functions to extrafamilial figures (e.g., Mayselessx, 2004). In support of this reasoning, Study 7 showed that reminders of death motivated anxious individuals to exaggerate the amount of perceived regard from a parent, whereas secure individuals reported greater perceived regard from a romantic partner. ...
Drawing from terror management theory, the present research examined whether people turn to close relationships to manage the awareness of mortality because they serve as a source of perceived regard. Studies 1 and 2 demonstrated that mortality salience (MS) leads people to exaggerate how positively their romantic partners see them and demonstrated that people are more committed to their partners to the extent that their romantic partners serve as a source of perceived regard after MS (Study 3). Study 4 revealed that activating thoughts of perceived regard from a partner in response to MS reduced death-thought accessibility. Studies 5 and 6 demonstrated that MS led high relationship contingent self-esteem individuals to exaggerate perceived regard from a partner, and this heightened regard led to greater commitment to one's partner. Study 7 examined attachment style differences and found that after MS, anxious individuals exaggerated how positively their parents see them, whereas secure individuals exaggerated how positively their romantic partners see them. Together, the present results suggest that perceptions of regard play an important role in why people pursue close relationships in the face of existential concerns.
... They reported that, between the ages of 8 and 14 years, adolescents reported that they approached peers for proximity and safe haven functions and parents for secure base functions (see also Nickerson and Nagle 2005). They also noted that during late adolescence (15-17 years), those individuals who had formed peer romantic relationships were less likely to approach their parents for attachment functions (see also Mayseless 2004;Nickerson and Nagle 2005), although research findings have not been consistent on this point. Consistent with Bowlby's suggestion that, for most individuals, the bond with parents would continue throughout life, researchers have found that one's mother, in particular, continues to be an important attachment figure throughout the lifespan (Pitman and Scharfe 2010). ...
... Alors qu'à l'adolescence, la qualité de l'attachement est positivement associée à la motivation académique (Duchesne & Larose, 2007 ;Learner & Kruger, 1997), nos résultats suggèrent que pour autant, durant l'émergence de l'âge adulte, aucun pattern spécifique ne se distingue. De même, bien qu'un attachement sécure permette de mieux vivre le départ du foyer familial qu'un attachement insécure (e.g., Mayseless, 2004 ;Mayseless, Danieli, & Sharabany, 1996) PPCT de Bronfenbrenner (1986), sont des caractéristiques propres à l'individu (i.e., onto-système) alors que l'environnement familial et la transition d'habitation renvoient au microsystème, c'est-à-dire aux environnements avec lesquels l'individu interagit. Comme les caractéristiques personnelles participent au développement positif des individus tout au long de la vie (Lerner, 2004), il est cohérent que durant une période de transition majeure, elles permettent à l'individu de s'adapter face aux événements de vie qu'il rencontre. ...
L’entrée à l’université représente une période de transition majeure jalonnée de différents changements de rôles, de statuts et de milieux. Cette période de transition correspond aux débuts du devenir adulte. Au cœur de ce défi développemental se situent les questions d’autonomie et d’indépendance. L’autonomie et l’indépendance s’acquièrent de manière progressive et s’expriment au travers des représentations que les jeunes adultes ont du fonctionnement de leur système familial et de leur propre fonctionnement. Ainsi, l’environnement familial, les représentations d’attachement, la transition d’habitation et les processus d’autodétermination sont des expressions du devenir adulte progressif des individus qui vont être particulièrement questionnées lors de cette transition majeure. En adoptant une vision holistique-interactionniste, ce travail de recherche s’est donné pour objectif d’interroger le développement psychosocial des jeunes adultes entrant à l’université en tenant compte des spécificités propres à leur période de développement.
Notre population d’étude se compose d’étudiants primo-entrants. En suivant une approche longitudinale, ce travail de recherche comportait trois temps de mesure et a donné lieu à la réalisation de deux cohortes successives. Le premier temps de mesure a eu lieu lors de la rentrée universitaire, en septembre/octobre (N = 1 142) ; le deuxième temps en milieu d’année universitaire, en février/mars (N = 248) ; et le troisième temps en fin d’année universitaire en juin/juillet (N = 101). A chaque temps de mesure, les participants ont été invités à répondre à un questionnaire qui évaluait leurs perceptions de leur environnement familial (i.e., relation parents-enfant et relations familiales), leurs représentations d’attachement, la transition d’habitation qu’ils vivaient, leurs processus d’autodétermination (i.e., motivation à la poursuite d’études et besoins psychologiques de base) et leur ajustement psychosocial (i.e., bien-être psychologique, estime de soi globale, dépressivité et résultats académiques). Les données ont été analysées en adoptant une approche à la fois centrée sur les personnes et sur les variables ainsi qu’en considérant les différentes formes de variabilités.
Nos résultats soulignent l’hétérogénéité et la multiplicité des profils d’environnement familial, d’attachement et d’autodétermination, des classes de transition d’habitation ainsi que des patterns de développement lors de l’entrée à l’université. Ces différents profils d’environnement familial, d’attachement et d’autodétermination présentent une évolution singulière au cours de la première année universitaire. Au niveau de l’ajustement psychosocial, nos résultats montrent que les caractéristiques personnelles (i.e., attachement et autodétermination) ont un effet sur l’ajustement au cours de la première année contrairement aux contextes dans lesquels évoluent l’individu (i.e., environnement familial et transition d’habitation). L’évolution de l’ajustement psychosocial au cours du temps s’avère positive et stable pour les profils positifs d’environnement familial, d’attachement et d’autodétermination alors qu’il est instable pour les profils négatifs. Enfin, nos résultats conduisent à considérer les besoins psychologiques de base comme des leviers permettant une meilleure adaptation en période de transition. Ces différentes observations apportent un regard complémentaire à la littérature et permettent de venir discuter des applications possibles dans l’accompagnement des adultes en devenir en contexte universitaire.
... These factors, in turn, negatively impact their transition to adulthood. In Israel, the transition to adulthood of this population may be even more challenging due to the military service, which is a critical phase the lives of Israeli adolescents and a turning point in their transition to adulthood (Mayseless 2004). Military service in Israel is not only compulsory but also marks a seminal period in the life of the individual as he/she matures; many disadvantaged youth, however, are ill-prepared for military service and are thus exempted, drop out, or end up serving in less prestigious roles. ...
A positive sense of agency is crucial for a successful transition to adulthood. Young women at risk may struggle with a compromised sense of agency due to their backgrounds and daily challenges, potentially delaying them at the stage of emerging adulthood when they are required to become independent. The current paper looks at the development of agency through the experiences of young women at risk who successfully graduated from a National Civic Service (NCS) volunteering program. Thirty alumni of the program were interviewed about their experiences in the program. Participants described the NCS as providing them with a transformative experience, during which they gained a new sense of agency. Three themes emerged, which represent two complementary needs to become normative, and to stand out as unique: Gaining a sense of normalcy and belonging, feeling worthy through others' eyes, and gaining an internalized sense of competency. Implications of these findings for theory and practice are discussed.
... These representations are suggested to underlie the development of subsequent social behavior (Bowlby, 1969(Bowlby, , 1973. Existing literature has demonstrated that a secure parent-child attachment style underlies an individual's ability to seek social support (Belsky & Cassidy, 1994;Florian, Mikulincer, & Bucholtz, 1995;Fraley & Davis, 1997;Mayseless, 2004). Indeed, theory posits that individuals with a secure attachment to a caregiver develop a working model of self and others as a foundation for social competence (McElhaney, Allen, Stephenson, & Hare, 2009;Nickerson & Nagle, 2005), including social support seeking (Cassidy, 2001;Scharf, 2001;Sroufe & Waters, 1977). ...
Background
Adolescents have virtually universal access to social media. Despite ample research linking attachment to social functioning in youth, neither this empirical research nor related theory has been extended to the virtual social context. The broad aim of this study was to test an attachment‐based model of social media use in adolescents in order to address a gap in the literature during this developmental stage and examine attachment and the related process of mentalizing as correlates of online behavior.
Method
Online social comparison/feedback‐seeking was selected as an outcome variable due to its known negative effects on adolescents. Analyses were conducted in a sample of 68 adolescents ranging in age from 15 to 18.
Results
No evidence of a main effect of parent–child attachment on social comparison/feedback‐seeking was found, but a significant mediational effect indicated that more insecure parent–child attachment is linked with hypermentalizing errors (i.e., overinterpretation of others’ mental states) and that such errors explain increased social comparison/feedback‐seeking.
Conclusions
The current study confirmed previously documented relations between parent–child attachment and hypermentalization as well as research demonstrating that parent–child attachment acts on an adolescent's social world – in this case their virtual social world – through anomalous mentalization.
... Some may substitute the mandatory military service with volunteering for a year or two in the National Civic Service. Serving in the military gives young people responsibility and independence, but at the same time, it is an organized system with a firm schedule and very little freedom (Mayseless, 2004). Despite the many challenges posed by military service, it also delays the need of young care leavers to assume responsibility in many life domains, since the army provides them with food, a place to live, and a small payment. ...
This longitudinal study tests a model that predicts aspirations toward higher education (AtHE) among alumni of public care in Israel based on their personal resources (self-esteem, readiness for independent living, and perceptions of their future), the support they receive from their mothers and peers, and their perception of the impact of military service. Using hierarchical regression analyses, we tested the incremental contribution of these variables to their AtHE. The sample comprised 202 alumni of care settings in Israel interviewed on leaving the care system, when they were 18 years old, and 4 years later. Higher AtHE scores were found among women and young people with a better perception of their educational achievements in high school. Additionally, high educational self-efficacy was associated with more AtHE. Finally, a positive impact of military service predicted greater AtHE. Implications for practice and policy are discussed.
... Nevertheless, despite a growing body of research on soldiers' spouses and children, little is known about the distress and experiences of soldiers' parents. The provision of emotional and instrumental support by parents is crucial, since in many cases soldiers are quite young, are not yet in stable romantic relationships, and have not yet formed their own families (Mayseless, 2004). ...
Objective: Military service is a highly stressful period both for the soldiers serving and for their parents. Surprisingly, parents’ experience has been mostly ignored in the research. This study’s goal is to shed light on the experience and distress levels of parents of active duty combat soldiers during Operation Protective Edge, a military operation carried out by the Israel Defense Forces during July and August of 2014.
Methods: During the advanced stages of the operation, 69 parents of Israeli male combat soldiers (55 mothers and 14 fathers) completed an online survey measuring symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD-Checklist-5) and distress (Brief Symptom Inventory-18). Participants were recruited using a convenience sample, by posting ads on the public Facebook pages of the researchers and of the groups dedicated to parents of Israeli soldiers.
Results: Parents’ depression and anxiety symptom levels were higher than depression and anxiety symptom levels of the adult community norms in Israel. General distress rates of parents were similar to those presented by adults in southern Israel who were exposed for 7 years to the ongoing threat of daily rocket fire from Gaza, and higher than rates of a non-threatened Israeli population. Finally, 20.2% of the parents presented PTSD-like symptoms, a higher percentage than the probable PTSD diagnosis rates that were found in the general population in Israel during previous terror waves.
Conclusion: This study provides preliminary evidence of soldiers’ parents’ distress and indicates the need for a better understanding of the impact of military service on soldiers’ parents.
... Nevertheless, numerous studies have pointed out that the relationship with peers was also vital in the life of emerging adulthood (Doherty & Feeney, 2004;Collins & van Dulmen, 2006;Schnyders, 2012). Furthermore, attachment needs were often with peers or with a romantic partner, and was no longer with the premier caregiver, that is, one's parents (Mayselessx, 2004). Erikson (1968) also asserted that developing a strong relationship with peers or romantic partner was the main marker during the emerging adulthood period. ...
Purpose – Building upon attachment theory and emerging theory, the current study was aimed at examining the effect of peer attachment in predicting adjustment to life in university among freshmen in a public unirvsity in East Malaysia. Furthermore, it sought to examine the influence of gender and perceived-adult status as moderators of the relationship between student attachment and student adjustment.
Methodology – Data was collected from 557 freshmen in one of the government universities in East Malaysia. Two questionnaires, namely The Inventory of Parent and Peers Attachment (IPPA) and The Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire (SACQ) were used in this study. Partial Least Square (PLS) analysis was employed to examine the hypothesized relationships.
Findings – The findings of the study showed that peer trust positively influenced academic and social adjustment. Meanwhile, peer communication positively influenced social adjustment, but negatively influenced personal-emotional adjustment. Lastly, peer alienation negatively influenced personal-emotional adjustment, but positively influenced institutional attachment. The Partial Least Square - Multi Group Analysis (PLS-MGA) results indicated no significant differences in peer attachment and university adjustment across gender and perceived-adult status.
Significance – The findings of this study has empirically proven the link between attachment theory and emerging adulthood theory, providing further corroborative evidence for the argument put forth by Howes and Spieker (2008) on the alternate attachment bond during emerging adulthood period. In terms of practical benefits,, several parties who work with emerging adult clients in the Malaysian university setting will be able to benefit from the research findings, particularly counsellors and academicians.
... The other contextual issue is compulsory military service in Israel, which dictates that every Jewish citizen be drafted into the army at the age of 18 for periods of two years for women and three years for men. Insofar as military service in Israel provides young people with opportunities such as learning how to work as part of a team and taking responsibility for themselves and others, it is generally perceived by scholars as promoting maturity and accelerating the transition to adulthood (Dar & Kimhi, 2001Mayseless, 2004). Perceptions notwithstanding, however, research with an appropriate methodology to support this notion is lacking. ...
Studies have revealed that young people who age out of residential or foster care (care leavers) must cope with a variety of challenges as they transition to adulthood. In addition, there are wide gaps in achievements in different life domains between care leavers and other people in their age group. Using a narrative approach, the study presented in this article analyzed the life stories of 16 care leavers in Israel. To shed light on their subjective experiences in life after care, data were collected four years after the participants left residential care. The analysis focused on care leavers’ resilience in the wake of their transition from military service to independent life. The data analysis revealed that after this transition, two distinct groups could be discerned: the “struggling to survive” group, and the “surviving through struggle” group. The narratives of the first group consist mainly of descriptions of the difficulties they encountered and their ongoing efforts to improve their adaption and functioning in their daily lives. These participants were identified as young adults at risk. The narratives of the participants of the second group, in contrast, highlight their positive attitudes about their situations in various life domains in the present and in the near future. Likewise, members of the second group consistently invested effort in overcoming the obstacles they face. The main characteristics of the two groups are illustrated by recounting the life story of a member of each group. The analysis highlights the resources and deficits shared by these groups and the circumstances that are unique to each group. Implications for practice and research are discussed.
... Military service is a critical phase in the lives of Israeli adolescents (Mayseless, 2004). It is a turning point for young people on the personal and social levels (Zeira, 2015). ...
This article describes the perspectives of alumni of National Civic Service (NCS) in Israel on its impact at the individual level. We compared 250 young women who were identified as youth at risk with 295 mainstream volunteers. Overall, the two groups show similar outcomes that are typical to this developmental stage of life. Yet youth at risk experience more difficulties. While NCS aims at increasing equality between groups, it seems that it is not enough to bridge the gaps between the groups. The findings imply a need for a continued intervention to accompany the at-risk alumni that would leverage the progress made during the NCS period.
... They reported that, between the ages of 8 and 14 years, adolescents reported that they approached peers for proximity and safe haven functions and parents for secure base functions (see also Nickerson and Nagle 2005). They also noted that during late adolescence (15-17 years), those individuals who had formed peer romantic relationships were less likely to approach their parents for attachment functions (see also Mayseless 2004;Nickerson and Nagle 2005), although research findings have not been consistent on this point. Consistent with Bowlby's suggestion that, for most individuals, the bond with parents would continue throughout life, researchers have found that one's mother, in particular, continues to be an important attachment figure throughout the lifespan (Pitman and Scharfe 2010). ...
... Analogous to the tendencies of dogs to become more attached to people and cats to be more attached to places, attachment to people and places are two facets of homesickness. Although the term homesickness would seem to imply greater attachment to a place, most contemporary research emphasizes the role of interpersonal attachments (Mayseless (2004); Scharf et al.,(2004);Shulmanetal, (2000); Wintre & Ben-Knaz (2000), sense of belonging (Watt & Badger (2009), friendship (Buote et al., (2007); Paul & Brier (2001), and social support (Brissette, Scheier, & Carver(2002); Ramsay, Jones, & Barker, (2007) ;Urani, Miller, Johnson, & Petzel, (2003).Separation anxiety disorder is classified in DSM-IV under disorders of infancy, childhood, or adolescence (American Psychiatric Association. (2000)).The central feature is developmentally inappropriate and excessive anxiety related to being separated from home or attachment figures. ...
Homesickness is an integral part of International human resource management. “Home is Where the Heart is”. Better opportunities and attractive salaries without tax payments lured the expatriates to search for employment opportunities in Gulf Region. Expatriates leave behind loved ones in the home country due to high cost of living in host country, good education and career for the children. To carry out the research, exploratory and causal research design was used. Since some surveys and newspaper articles are emphasizing the increasing rate of expatriate married singles in Gulf region, the respondents for this research were confined to expatriate ‘married singles’ only. The purposive snowball sampling technique has been used to collect primary data from the target respondents. The data were collected from 110 (N=110) expatriate married singles working from various sectors in Oman. The analysis of the data was subjected to Confirmatory factor analysis using Principal Component analysis with Varimax Rotation via AMOS 2.0. This study is evident that out of 25 factors 18 factors are the most important factors which are influencing the homesickness among married singles. The new factors have been taken for Confirmatory factor analysis. The result proved that all the measured variables are influenced with the latent variable of successful operation for measuring the influence of homesickness.
... The person on top of this hierarchy is the person who fulfills the attachment best. When children grow older, this previously exclusive hierarchy of family members (i.e., parents and genetically related siblings) expands to other persons (e.g., romantic partners; Ainsworth, 1989;Colin, 1996;Fraley & Davis, 1997;Hazan & Shaver, 1987;Mayseless, 2004;Trinke & Bartholomew, 1997). ...
Previous studies have shown that romantic partners and siblings are important attachment figures. This study compares the attachment to the romantic partner with the attachment to the sibling as a function of the participant’s sibling type among monozygotic (MZ) twins, dizygotic (DZ) twins, and non-twin (NT) siblings. The results show that MZ twins prefer their sibling to their romantic partner whereas DZ twins are equally attached to their sibling and romantic partner. In contrast, NT siblings are more attached to their romantic partner compared to their sibling. These results indicate that genetic relatedness has profound impact on a person’s attachment hierarchy and the relative rank of the romantic partner and the sibling.
... Helicopter parents may interfere with the development of peer relationships. The transition from being primarily attached to parents to forming attachments with peers is a normal developmental process (Smollar & Youniss, 1989) and tends to be salient when adolescents go away to college for the first time (Mayseless, 2004). This does not imply that parental attachment is no longer important for young adults or no longer predictive of their functioning (Laible, Carlo, & Roesch, 2004), but rather that the impact of multiple attachment relationships needs to be considered in college-age populations. ...
Helicopter parenting, an observed phenomenon on college campuses, may adversely affect college students. The authors examined how helicopter parenting is related to self-efficacy and peer relationships among 190 undergraduate students ages 16 to 28 years. Helicopter parenting was associated with low self-efficacy, alienation from peers, and a lack of trust among peers. Implications are provided for counselors and psychologists in college- and university-based counseling centers to help them to understand and provide assessment and treatment for adult children of helicopter parents.
... Sometimes attachments are transferred from one person or object to another; this attachment transfer process is associated with differences in attachment style (Freeman and Brown 2001;Friedlmeier and Granqvist 2006). Someone with a predisposition to form supportive and trustworthy relationships with others will be more willing and able to forge an attachment with a friend or a romantic partner (Mayseless 2004). Trust between individuals is positively associated with the attachment transfer (Fraley and Davis 1997); thus trust is related to attachment transfer. ...
Why do people help others on mobile shopping sites, even when members have never met? To answer the research question, this study applies attachment theory to investigate the relationships between formation variables (trust, enjoyment, and timesaving), transfer variables (site, group, and interpersonal attachments), and an outcome variable (reciprocal altruism). An online survey was conducted of shoppers who had purchased tourism products with smartphones. The results show that trust, enjoyment, and timesaving have significant effects on site attachment, which, in turn, have a significant effect on both group and interpersonal attachments. Interpersonal attachment also has a highly significant effect on group attachment. Reciprocal altruism is influenced by both site and interpersonal attachments. The findings not only provide theoretical contributions to the tourism literature but also practical contributions to the tourism industry.
... In line with these findings from these cross-sectional studies, a longitudinal study found that adolescents' and emerging adults' (ages ranged from 12 to 23 years) perceptions that their romantic partner is a more important person than their best friend increase over time (Meeus, Branje, van der Valk, & de Wied, 2007). Another longitudinal study with emerging adult males during compulsory military service (at the age of 18 years at the first wave of the study) found that a change in proximity seeking from parents to the romantic partner or the best friend is related to their better adjustment to the new environment of military service (Mayseless, 2004). ...
This study examined whether emerging adults’ attachment preference for their romantic partner is complementary to their attachment preferences for their mother, father, and friends using a cross-sectional research design. Participants were 1,021 emerging adults recruited in the Czech Republic (mean age = 21.46, SD = 1.55) who filled out questionnaires. The attachment preference for the romantic partner correlated inversely with the attachment preference for friends but not with the preference for the mother or for the father. Our regression analyses revealed that emerging adults who were currently in a romantic relationship and had a longer romantic relationship were more likely to prefer their partner and less likely to prefer their friends. However, those emerging adults were not necessarily less likely to prefer their parents. For females, the length of romantic relationship was positively linked to their preferences for their mother. Hence, the results of this study accord with the claim that emerging adults’ attachment preferences are shifted to the romantic partner only from friends and not from the parents.
... formation (Fraley and Davis 1997;Mayseless 2004). Adolescents who develop secure attachment relationships with their parents, balancing the need for autonomy with the need for maintaining emotional closeness with their parents are therefore more able to transfer attachment components to peers. ...
This study analyzes the contribution of peer attachment in predicting active coping and self-esteem in a sample of 109 institutionalized adolescents. It also explores the mediating role of social skills in the association between peer attachment, coping, and self-esteem. Structural equation modeling identified a model able to predict a positive and direct contribution of peer relationships on self-esteem. Results confirmed the mediating role of social skills but only between quality of peer attachment and the development of active coping. From an ecological perspective, quality of relationships with significant peer figures can contribute to the development of a secure base, especially in adolescents without family support. Consequently, institutionalized adolescents who perceive quality in their peer relationships seem to be more able to express their feelings and ideas. As a result, they can become able to establish positive and empathic relationships with others, which can lead to the development of active coping skills. The quality of peer relationships can also increase the self-esteem of these adolescents because they feel they have a source of personal support and can share their difficulties.
... In adulthood, romantic relationships and marriages are the sites of some of the most important emotional bonds and can therefore be some of the most important relational contexts in which to sustain a broaden-and-build cycle of attachment security and produce long-term changes in a person's attachment orientation. In fact, adopting a life-span perspective, attachment researchers (e.g., Hazan & Zeifman, 1994;Fraley & Davis, 1997;Mayseless, 2004) have consistently shown that romantic partners often become an adult's principal attachment figure. According to Hazan and Zeifman (1994), proximity seeking in adulthood is often directed toward a romantic partner or spouse, and these people are perceived as the main providers of a safe haven and a secure base. ...
... According to the prototype hypothesis, caregiving experiences in early life shape attachment representations; once formed, they serve as prototypic mental models of attachment relationships and influence adult attachment patterns with romantic partners and peers, at least to the extent that the caregiving environment remains stable (e.g., Fraley & Shaver, 2000). Most relevant to the present research is the idea that with maturation, individuals transfer attachment-related functions from parents to peers (best friends and romantic partners) in a sequential manner (e.g., Fraley & Davis, 1997;Hazan & Zeifman, 1994;Mayseless, 2004). For example, around 10 to 14 years of age, attachment behaviors, such as proximity maintenance (desire to be physically close) and safe haven (relying on a person for comfort), that were once directed toward parents become directed toward peers (Hazan & Zeifman, 1994). ...
It is widely assumed that, within the context of a stable developmental environment, relationship experiences in early life influence later ones. To date, however, there has been no longitudinal empirical evidence for the hypothesis that early maternal caregiving predicts adult attachment dynamics with peers and partners. The present longitudinal study shows that quality of maternal caregiving experienced at 18 months of age predicted the extent to which the same participants more than 20 years later (age M = 22) were uncomfortable relying on partners and peers (avoidance) and experienced relational worries with partners (anxiety). These findings provide new empirical support that early maternal caregiving predicts later adult attachment patterns with peers and partners. Moreover, consistent with attachment theory, they suggest that the influence of maternal caregiving experienced in early life is not limited to this first attachment relationship but operates more generally in other attachment relationships.
... Emotional cycles in separation-reunion patterns are also relevant in other distance relating contexts, such as parent-child relationships (Mayseless, 2004;Trice, 2002). In these contexts emotional intensity waxes and wanes over time, depending on multiple factors. ...
... Findings revealed that the achievement of some adult criteria is related to emerging adults' type of living situation. Similar to previous studies, it was found that emerging adults in Belgium can be roughly categorized as coresiding with parents, living semiindependent, and living fully independent (de Jong Gierveld et al., 2001; Goldscheider & DaVanzo, 1986; Mayseless, 2004). Contrary to our expectations, achievement of various dimensions of adulthood appeared to be connected with emerging adults' residential status and not solely the achievement of individualistic qualities. ...
In the West it is not until the mid-20s or 30s people reach an adult status.
Becoming an adult signifies being independent from others (especially from
parents) and learning to stand alone as a self-sufficient person. This study
investigates whether the attainment of such individual qualities are affected
by emerging adults’ living circumstances. Results indicate that though
independent living is associated with an accelerated achievement of certain
criteria for adulthood, continued coresidence with parents during emerging
adulthood slows down the process by which an individual moves toward
becoming a self-sufficient and independent adult. Because success in the
achievement of an adult status also positively predicts emerging adults’ wellbeing,
delayed home-leaving during this stage of life is an issue that requires
special attention.
... As such, future work should examine whether reasons for leaving home (e.g., to enter the workforce, the military, or college) moderate the linkages between leaving home and youth's family relationship qualities. For example, expectations regarding the frequency and quality of communication and interactions may differ depending upon the reason for leaving home (e.g., transition to college versus military service) and thus be related to different sets of antecedents and consequences (e.g., Mayseless, 2004). ...
This study charted the course of parent-child and sibling relationships from early adolescence to early adulthood and examined how these relationships changed following firstborns' departure from their parents' home for the first time. Data were drawn from a 10-year longitudinal study of family relationships. Participants included mothers, fathers, and first- and second-born children from 184, White, working and middle class families. Multilevel models revealed declines in parent-child conflict, acceptance, and sibling negativity, and increases or U-shaped patterns in sibling and parent-child intimacy over time. Birth order X leaving home interactions revealed that firstborns' leaving home related to changes in family relationship qualities for both first- and second-borns, with relationships improving for firstborns and no changes or declines in relationship quality for second-borns. Overall, the results highlight the inter-relatedness of family subsystems.
In the context of the existing research on families, sibling violence is a less explored area. However, it has seemingly received more attention recently, and it can assume a relevant role in understanding the maladaptive behavior of youngsters and bullying. Additionally, adolescents involved in bullying and self-esteem are associated with disruptive violence inside the family context. This study’s sample consisted of 286 students, aged between 12 and 17 years, from both sexes. This study intends to explore the association between sibling violence and bullying behavior in peers and the mediator effect of self-esteem. The measures for data collection were a demographic questionnaire, the Social Exclusion and School Violence Questionnaire, The Revised Conflict Tactics Scales (Portuguese version for siblings), and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. The results show a negative effect between negotiation in the sibling relationship (victimization) and social exclusion and verbal aggression related to bullying behavior. Self-esteem represents a total and negative mediator in this connection. Our results also show a variety of indirect outcomes amongst the negotiation dimension, psychological aggression and injury between siblings, and the social exclusion and verbal aggression dimensions (on the aggression and victimization scales). The results will be discussed according to the attachment theory but considering the importance of affective bonds with siblings as a predisposing factor to an adaptive development course.
(1) Background: Research regarding sibling violence is still scarce, although it is the most common type of intrafamily violence. Every sibling’s position in the sibling dyad seems to influence this type of violent conduct since every status has its characteristics. Siblings involved in aggressive behavior seem to be described as having low self-esteem. This study intends to test the predictive effect of self-esteem, sibling position and sex on sibling violence development. (2) Method: The sample consists of 286 students, aged between 12 and 17 years, from both sexes. A social demographic questionnaire and the Revised Conflict Tactics Scales—the Portuguese Sibling Version (CTS2-SP) and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale were used for data collection. (3) Results: The results show an association between self-esteem in sibling violence, as well as an association between sibling position on negotiation and sexual coercion’s perpetration and victimization. Sex also predicts the negotiation of psychological aggression’s perpetration and psychological and physical aggression’s victimization. (4): the results will be discussed according to the attachment theory, considering the importance of affective bonds with siblings as adaptive development facilitators.
Background:
Social anxiety is a frequently reported symptom in children and adolescents. The literature suggests that family function is related to symptoms of social anxiety in children. However, relatively little is known about the potential mechanisms underlying the relationship between family function and social anxiety. Thus, the purpose of the present study is to examine the roles of peer attachment and self-esteem in the relationship between family function and social anxiety in a sample of migrant children in China.
Methods:
A total of 437 participants (54.9% male; mean age = 10.87 years) were selected from two public schools of migrant children in two areas of Hangzhou and Jiaxing, the major labor-importing cities in China, in May 2016. All participants completed four questionnaires assessing family function, peer attachment, self-esteem, and social anxiety.
Results:
The results showed that family function was bivariately and significantly related to symptoms of social anxiety. Additionally, self-esteem fully mediated the relationship between family function and social anxiety peer attachment. Moreover, the relationship between family function and social anxiety was fully mediated by peer attachment and self-esteem (in that order).
Conclusions:
Peer attachment and self-esteem serve as critical pathways linking family function and social anxiety. Thus, tailored interventions should consider the roles of peer attachment and self-esteem to alleviate symptoms of social anxiety in migrant children.
Hazan and Zeifman were the first to explore Bowlby’s proposition that adults would organize their attachment relationships into a hierarchy and since then considerable research has explored both the structure and function of attachment hierarchies using different methodologies. In this study, previous findings establishing an association between attachment and networks were replicated and the associations between network members were explored. First, consistent with expectations, the findings provided additional evidence that romantic partners do not necessarily jump to the top of the hierarchy and young adults continue to place parents, in particular mothers, at the top of their hierarchy. Consistent with previous work, security was associated with placing others closer to the self and attachment avoidance was associated with placing others farther from the self on an electronic bull’s eye. Furthermore, to date, this is the first study to examine the association between attachment representations and the organization of network members. Interestingly, security was associated with placing network members closer to each other and attachment avoidance was associated with placing network members farther from each other. This finding suggests that individuals with high attachment security may be more motivated to allow members of their social networks to mingle whereas individuals with high attachment avoidance scores seemed to be motivated to keep their network members at a distance. The results of this study extend our understanding how attachment representations may influence the organization of our social networks.
A secure peer attachment appears in the literature as a protective factor against bullying behavior. The present study seeks to test the predictor effect of peer attachment on different types of bullying and to examine the mediating role of gender on the same association. The sample consists of 351 individuals of both genders, between the ages of 12 and 17. The results show the existence of a peer attachment predictive effect on victimization but does not reveal a gender moderator effect in this association. As for the aggressive behaviors, no predictive value of peer attachment was found. The results will be discussed and analyzed as the attachment theory, in order to understand the importance of peer attachment as a protective factor for maladaptive behavior in adolescence.
תקופת הטירונות מהווה ביטוי קיצוני לאופיו של הצבא כ"מוסד כוללני". במהלכה, מצוי החייל בסביבה סטרילית ומבודדת, המנותקת מחיי היומיום ומהמעגלים המשפחתיים והחברתיים באזרחות, במטרה לאפשר את תהליך החִברות הצבאי של הפרט. ניידותו של הטלפון הסלולרי, ממדיו הקטנים והזמינות הגבוהה שהוא מאפשר, מאתגרים את יכולתו של הצבא ליצור את הניתוק הנדרש. באמצעות ראיונות עומק עם חיילים ומפקדים קרביים, מבקש המחקר לבחון את האופן שבו השימוש בסלולרי והגבלותיו מעצבים את המרחב הצבאי בתקופת הטירונות בעיני החיילים ומפקדיהם, ואת מיגוון האתגרים שהנוכחות הסלולרית מציבה בפניהם. ממצאי המחקר מראים, כי הטלפון הנייד משמש לשמירה על קשר יומיומי עם המעגלים החברתיים והמשפחתיים, לתמיכה ברגעי משבר ולצריכת תכני בידור המספקים חוויה אסקפיסטית. בעיני המפקדים, נוכחותו של הסלולרי בידי החיילים נתפסת כפוגעת בחִברות של הטירונים ובטרנספורמציה מפרטים בודדים לקבוצה מגובשת. בנוסף, הסלולרי מאפשר מעורבות מוגברת של הורים, דבר הנתפס בעיני המפקדים כאיום על המבנה ההיררכי הפנים-ארגוני. מזווית אחרת, פוטנציאל הזמינות התמידית בין המפקדים הזוטרים לבכירים נתפס ככזה הפוגע בבניית כושר המנהיגות וקבלת ההחלטות של המפקדים הזוטרים, כחלק מתהליך החִברות-הפיקודית. לאור ממצאים אלה נטען, כי השימוש בסלולרי הוא ביטוי להתנגדות לפרקטיקות השליטה, הפיקוח והקולקטיביזציה אותן מפעיל המוסד הכוללני במטרה להפשיט הטירונים מזהויותיהם הפרטיקולריות, אך בו בעת משמש גם להרחבת הפיקוח ולאישור הסדר ויחסי הכוח המוסדיים
Transition to university is a challenging phase of life which may have a profound impact on individuals' mental health. This article focuses on an attachment theory perspective of mental health issues of students from different cultural background (Western and Asian groups) during their transition to university. A review of students' mental health problems across cultures is presented. A brief introduction to attachment theory is provided, and the influential role of attachment transfer during university transition is described. The evidence on the link between students' attachment styles and their mental health problems during the transition to university is addressed, noting several differences in research findings from Western and Asian studies on this topic. Overall, it is concluded that in both Western and Asian samples, students' attachment styles play an important role in their mental health during their transition to university. Implications on university counselling service and students' mental health research are discussed.
span>U predškolskim ustanovama svake školske godine, susrećemo se sa adaptacijom na jaslice, dece uzrasta do tri godine. I pored pripreme dece, roditelja, primene programa adaptacije i dr., separacione teškoće različitog intenziteta koje se ne mogu predvideti manifestuju se u toku adaptacije. Sagledavanjem upisa dece u jaslice kroz prizmu TAV data je mogućnost rane predikcije individualnih razlika adaptacije dece na osnovu kvaliteta veze dete-majka, kao i pružanja odgovora na pitanje transfera AV sa majke na vaspitača; kompenzacije negativnih efekata nesigurne veze sa majkom kroz sigurnu vezu sa vaspitačem; kapaciteta deteta jaslenog uzrasta za formiranje multiplih veza; reorganizacije hijerarhije figura i načina kvalitetne podrške od strane vaspitača i vrtića kao institucije, neophodne za formiranje sigurnih relacija. Dakle, ovim radom se traga za odgovorom na pitanje koje sve mogućnosti pruža adaptacija dece na jaslice u smislu podsticanja psihosocijalnog razvoja deteta iz ugla teorije afektivne vezanosti. <br /
Most Israeli children who spend their youth away from their birth parents live in youth villages. The majority of these children come from either the geographical or social periphery of Israel. Since the 1990s the youth villages have specialized in absorbing immigrants mainly from the former Soviet Union (FSU) and Ethiopia. The paper reports on a survey conducted among the professional staff in the youth villages. This study explores their perceptions of the readiness for independent living of adolescents on the verge of leaving youth villages and examines how readiness is associated with individual and familial characteristics. A structured questionnaire was mailed to youth villages asking professionals to anonymously complete the survey. The total sample include reports on 1256 adolescents who spent in the current setting on average 3.3 (SD=1.8) years. For many of them this was the first out-of-home placement. Generally, workers have a favorable assessment of the youths' readiness for independent living. Still, they report that many of the youths do not have any of the necessary skills for independent living. Additionally, there are sub-groups that are more disadvantaged and at greater risk because they lack skills for a successful transition from care. The findings indicate that youth of Ethiopian origin are more disadvantaged with regard to skills related to school, the job market, finances, interpersonal relationships and normative behaviors, whereas youths from FSU present fewer skills pertaining to military service. The findings emphasize the important role Israeli youth villages have in supporting underprivileged adolescents in acquiring basic skills for adult life and suggest guidelines as to which sub-groups and in which area programs should be developed.
This study was designed to examine the process of attachment transfer from parents to peers, as well as factors related to this transfer process among Mainland Chinese. A total of 147 Chinese college students (with a mean age of 21.44) completed questionnaires that measured attachment style, attachment transfer, attachment support from various figures, loneliness, positive/negative affects, and self-esteem. Major findings of the current study include the following: (a) Hazan and Shaver's sequential model of attachment transfer was generalized to the Chinese sample; (b) the extent of attachment transfer was found to be associated with participants' emotional states (loneliness and positive affect) and was a significant predictor of these emotional states beyond the effects of attachment style and attachment support. As one of the first studies exploring the phenomenon of attachment transfer among young Chinese adults, conceptual and applied implications of these findings are discussed.
In this longitudinal study, we followed a large sample of first-time parents (both partners) across the first 2 years of the transition to parenthood. Guided by attachment theory (Bowlby, 1969), we tested several predictions about how attachment anxiety and avoidance are related to the incidence, maintenance, increase, and decline of depressive symptoms in both sexes across the first 2 years of the transition. We found that (a) the association between attachment anxiety and depressive symptoms was moderated by factors related to the marital and/or romantic relationship; (b) the association between avoidance and depressive symptoms was moderated by factors related to family responsibilities; (c) styles of caregiving provided by romantic partners affected depressive symptoms differently among anxious and avoidant persons; and (d) in certain predictable situations, depressive symptoms persisted at higher levels or increased to higher levels in anxious or avoidant persons across the 2-year transition period. Important implications of these results are discussed.
Some of the original studies of hardiness by Kobasa and Maddi and their colleagues in Chicago were characterized by a lack of explicit acknowledgment that samples were drawn from the same large population of business executives and by insufficient information on the number, varying nature, and timing of observations of these research participants. Specifically, two review articles (see record 1990-97699-012) (see record 1988-01423-001) have criticized two early articles (see record 1982-21492-001) (see record 1982-23579-001) as potentially misleading readers about the number of times that the hardiness effect on health has been independently found. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
222 male and 332 female college students were classified into 1 of 4 family alignment groups (noncoalition, mother-coalition, father-coalition, and triangulation) on the basis of conflictual independence from each parent. Measures included Ss' self-reports of conflict in their parents' relationship and an adaptation to college questionnaire. Females and Ss who reported high levels of marital conflict in their current family environments evidenced lower personal college adjustment. Students' academic adjustment may be most at risk if they are conflictually dependent on both parents simultaneously (i.e., triangulated), while their personal adjustment may be negatively affected by a conflictual relationship with one or both parents. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)