The purposes of this study were to examine the relationship among the parent’s attachment, peer attachment self-determination, of middle school students. In addition, this study attemped to investigate the influence of peer attachment and peer attac...
The purposes of this study were to examine the relationship among the parent’s attachment, peer attachment self-determination, of middle school students. In addition, this study attemped to investigate the influence of peer attachment and peer attachment on self-determination of middle school students.
To achieve this purposes, the study selected research questions were as follows.
Research question 1. What is the relationship among the parent’s attachment that middle school students perceived and self-determination?
Research question 2. What is the relationship among the peer attachment that middle school students perceived and self-determination?
Research question 3. What is the relative imfluence of the parents and peer attachments on self-determination of middle school students ?
This study collected samples from first and second grades middle school students in Chungbuk Province to solve the research question. Data from a total of 253 students (119 male students and 134 female students) were included in the analysis and correlation analysis and stepwise multiple regression analysis were executed by using SPSS 18.0. The major results of this study were as follows.
First, correlation analysis to find out the relationship between the parents attachment and self-determination confirmed that the parent’s attachment had astatic and significant relationship with self-determination. Communication and confidence were in the order of the sub-factors of self-determination. Therefore, the necessity of communication with parents to build self-determination is highlighted. It showed that good communication and confidence in their parents played an important role in the formation of self-determination. As a result, if parents respect their children’s opinions and try to understand them when they have a conversation, the quality of self-determination is better.
Second, correlation analysis to identify the relationship between the peer attachment and self-determination confirmed that the peer attachment had a static and meaningful relationship with self-determination. Alienation and confidence were in the order of the sub-factors of self-determination.
Third, stepwise multiple regression analyses were executed to find out the relative influence of parents and peer attachments on self-determination of middle school students.
The most influential factors on the self-determination of teenagers were parent’s attachment and communication with parents, peer alienation, peer confidence and parent’s confidence in that order. The explanation power of parents communication about self-determination was 35%, peer alienation added 19% and the sum became 54%. When peer confidence was added, the explanation ability was 57%. When the parent’s confidence was added, the power was 59%. These results indicate that the parent’s attachment has a meaningful influence on self-determination. This also supports the prior research of Okran, Hak (2008) that children consider others and themselves positively if the parents respect their children’s emotions and opinions and create an environment that their children can talk about their concerns. Therefore, parents should create atrust worthy domestic environment. Frank conversation between parents and children can make the children understand each other, realize that they are worthy, and discover their talents and potential. This also enables them to maintain a good relationship with their peer group.
The significance and suggestions of this study are as follows.
First, the fact that parents and peer attachments have positive influences on self-determination is largely based on counseling. The attachment is that people experience the strongest emotional ties with others. It can help children who have difficulties in forming an attachment with a counselor revitalize there lationship of attachment again through counseling. Counseling is subject to a familiar relationship between a counselor and a client.
Second, the counselor should inspire self-confidence by pointing out the necessary factors for teenagers who lack self-determination to boost and provide proper support and encouragement afterre aching an understanding about their parents and peer attachments through counseling.
Third, the counselor can provide programs that help adolescents who have difficulties in having an attachment to someone due to alack of parents’ affection and care and repeated denial have self-confidence in understanding others by understanding their emotions and themselves. Also, it is necessary to develop the self-development programs to balance psychological and emotional development by improving self-confidence, values, and self-determination.