Services on Demand
Journal
Article
Indicators
Cited by SciELO
Access statistics
Related links
Similars in SciELO
Share
Psicologia
Print version ISSN 0874-2049
Abstract
MATOS, Paula Mena and COSTA, Maria Emília. Parental and romantic attachment in adolescents. Psicologia [online]. 2006, vol.20, n.1, pp.97-126. ISSN 0874-2049.
Based on Bowlby's and Ainsworth's attachment theory, and on Bartholomew's conceptual and methodological approach, this paper addresses parental and romantic attachment representations of late adolescents. Using a cross‑sectional research design, the study examines (a) continuities and discontinuities across relational domains, and (b) differences in attachment representations as a function of adolescents and parental gender. Two coded semistructured interviews (Family Attachment Interview e Peer Attachment Interview, Bartholomew & Horowitz, 1991) were administrated to a sample of 82 late adolescents. Results indicate the presence of regularities in the attachment representations of both domains, evidenced in the thematic and content recurrences, as well as in the structural recurrences of the narratives' organization. Albeit the moderate magnitude of the values observed, adolescents with secure attachments to parents tend to relate in a more secure way to their romantic partners, presenting more positive representations of self and others. No gender differences in attachment patterns were observed, although attachment to mother was classified as more preoccupied for boys and girls, and attachment to father as more dismissive only for boys.
Keywords : attachment to parents; romantic relationships; adolescence; narrative.