The purpose of this study was twofold. One was to investigate the relationship between middle school students’ perceived parental attachment and adolescents’ adjustments. The other was to test the moderating effect of father attachment on the rela...
The purpose of this study was twofold. One was to investigate the relationship between middle school students’ perceived parental attachment and adolescents’ adjustments. The other was to test the moderating effect of father attachment on the relationship between mother(a major fosterer) attachment and adolescents’ adjustments. In addition this study examined relationship among these three factors representing of adolescents’ adjustments which are school adjustment, depression and relational aggressiveness.
A total of 336 second year male and female middle school students participated in this study by responding to three questionnaires that included measures of attachment(IPPA: The Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment), school adjustment(Korean School life adjustment scale), depression(CES-D) and relational aggressiveness(PCS:Peer Conflict Scale). For the data analysis, the statistical program, SPSS version 18 was used. Correlation and hierarchical analyses were performed.
The results of this study are as follows. First, Parental attachment and adolescents’ adjustments of middle school students shared a statistically significant relationship and difference between male and female students. Second, it was found that father attachment of students moderate significantly the relationship between mother attachment and school adjustments. Third, it was also found that father attachment of students moderate significantly the relationship between mother attachment and depression of the students.
The results of the present study suggest that father attachment plays a very significant roles to adolescents’ adjustments so that if we develop intervention programs targeting maladjusted adolescents based on involvement of their father intimately, it is predicted that middle school students regardless of gender are able to pass through their adolescence in healthy condition.