Effects of culture and parenting on adult attachment: Should we let them go to let them grow?
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1
Department of Psychological Science, School of Health and Human Sciences, Southern Cross University, Australia
Background: Healthy autonomy is achieved in the context of close and supportive relationships with parents and leads to secure attachments. Secure attachment is critical for emotional and cognitive development with family, embedded cultural values and key influences on patterns of attachment. Aims: The current research explored the relationships among upbringing, whether parents/caregivers held individualistic or collectivist values, and Autonomy Support and Adult Attachment. Methods: Participants (N = 147) completed an online survey including demographics, the Perception of Parents Scale (POPS), Community Collectivism Scale (CPV), and the Experiences in Close Relationships Scale – Revised (ECR-R). Results: Regression analysis revealed that community and personal values (CPV) did not correlate with avoidance or anxious attachment. However, as predicted, reported perceptions of parenting style (POPS) regarding autonomy support were significantly negatively correlated with anxiety attachment while parental involvement was significantly negatively correlated with avoidant attachment. Conclusion: These findings confirm the importance of autonomy support in parenting for the most positive child outcomes. Secure adult attachments were more often reported when they recalled their parents as involved and supporting their autonomy. Authoritarian parenting in which parents or caregivers typically adopt a strict disciplinary parenting style and control their children’s choices may be more likely to lead to anxious adult attachment.
Keywords:
autonomy support,
adult attachment,
culture,
individualism,
collectivism
Conference:
15th Annual Psychology Honours Research Conference , Coffs Harbour, Australia, 4 Oct - 5 Oct, 2018.
Presentation Type:
Research
Topic:
Abstract for 15th Annual Psychology Honours Research Conference
Citation:
Morkos
T,
Kocek
T and
Donnelly
JF
(2019). Effects of culture and parenting on adult attachment: Should we let them go to let them grow?.
Front. Psychol.
Conference Abstract:
15th Annual Psychology Honours Research Conference .
doi: 10.3389/conf.fpsyg.2018.74.00036
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Received:
18 Sep 2018;
Published Online:
27 Sep 2019.
*
Correspondence:
Miss. Theodora Morkos, Department of Psychological Science, School of Health and Human Sciences, Southern Cross University, Coffs Harbour, Australia, t.morkos.10@student.scu.edu.au