Attachment and empathy as predictors of roles as defenders or outsiders in bullying interactions

Bullying almost always occurs in the presence of peers, most of whom do not intervene to stop it. This study examined the role of attachment, empathy, and gender in predicting the behavior of 105 middle school students who reported being either (a) defenders who actively intervened to stop bullying, or (b) outsiders who were either not involved or stood by passively. It was hypothesized that gender, attachment to mother, attachment to father, and empathy would predict whether children nominated themselves as defenders in bullying situations. A hierarchical logistic regression analysis indicated that these variables together significantly predicted whether children nominated themselves as defenders or outsiders. Gender was not a unique significant predictor. Attachment to mother contributed significant unique variance to the model, but attachment to father did not after accounting for gender and attachment to mother. Empathy contributed significant unique variance to the model even after accounting for all other variables. Results suggest that middle school personnel should openly discuss with students their roles in bullying interactions. In addition, teaching empathy towards others and involving parents may be critical components in comprehensive prevention programs.     

小学高年级儿童亲子依恋的发展及其与同伴交往的关系

以武汉市三所普通小学四、五、六年级的505名学生为被试,用问卷调查、团体施测的方式,探讨亲子依恋与其同伴交往的关系,结果发现:儿童的母—子依恋安全性得分和对父母的信赖有显著年级差异,表现为随着年级的增长而下降,同时母—子依恋安全性得分显著高于父—子依恋;在儿童友谊质量、社交焦虑方面,父、母均有影响,在社会交往行为表现及好朋友提名分方面母亲的作用也是显见的;与双亲建立了双重安全依恋型的儿童获益最大,双重非安全依恋型的儿童损失最惨重。     

Attachment Quality And Depression In Iranian Adolescents

This study investigated the relationship of quality of adolescent’s attachment to mother, father, and peers with depression. 785 high school students (49.7 % male and 50.3 % female) aged between 15 and 17 years completed the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment (IPPA) as well as the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II). In case of boys the results showed that their attachment to mother, father, and peers were meaningful predictors of depression during adolescence. Similar trend was noted for girls. Attachment to mother across both genders accounted for greater variance in depression in comparison to attachment to father and/or attachment to peers. Cultural implications are addressed.     

青少年父母、同伴依恋与社会适应性的关系

对519个初、高中生施测青少年父母同伴依恋量表(IPPA)、自尊(SES)、中学生社会适应性量表,以探讨青少年父母、同伴依恋的现状,以及它们和自尊、社会适应之间的关系.结果表明:(1)青少年总体依恋质量较高.同伴的依恋质量高于父母依恋质量.(2)青少年的父母依恋在性别上没有差异;女生的同伴依恋得分显著高于男生.父母依恋的发展呈先降后升的趋势,初一年级最高,初三年级最低;同伴依恋呈先升后降再升趋势,但未见显著差异.(3)父亲依恋对青少年的心理弹性预测力最强,母亲依恋对心理优势感预测力最强,同伴依恋对人际适应性预测力最强.这种影响通过自尊的部分中介作用而实现.     

亲子性话题沟通风格对青少年性行为和性态度的预测： 依恋的调节效应

采用问卷法探讨了亲子间性话题沟通风格与青少年性行为、性态度的关系,并考查了亲子依恋的调节效应。结果发现：（1）两个关于性别、父母职业和受教育程度的多元方差分析表明：男生与女生在与父亲和母亲的性话题沟通开放性上均没有显著差异,与父亲和母亲性话题沟通的舒适感上有显著差异。男生与父亲的性话题沟通风格好于与母亲的,而女生与母亲的性话题沟通风格好于与父亲的。父母的职业和受教育程度以及青少年性别、父母职业、受教育程度的交互作用不显著;（2）进一步的结构方程模型分析表明：青少年与父母性话题沟通开放性对性行为具有显著的负向预测作用,对不赞同同伴性行为的态度具有显著的正向预测作用;而青少年与父母性话题沟通舒适感对不赞同同伴性行为的态度具有显著的负向预测作用;（3）依恋对性话题沟通和青少年的性行为的关系有显著的调节作用,与完全安全依恋的家庭相比,在与父母依恋都不安全的家庭中,青少年与父母性话题沟通的开放性对青少年的性行为有更强的预测力     

Suicidal ideation in adolescent psychiatric inpatients as associated with depression and attachment relationships

Examined suicidal ideation in adolescent psychiatric inpatients as associated with depressive symptoms and attachment to mother, father, and peers. Fifty-nine adolescent psychiatric inpatients (25 male, 34 female) completed self-report measures of suicidal ideation, depressive symptoms, and attachment. Attachment to mother accounted for significant variation in levels of depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation. In addition, attachment to peers accounted for significant variation in suicidal ideation and girls' (but not boys') depressive symptoms. However, after adjusting for depressive symptoms, attachment variables failed to contribute additional variance in suicidal ideation. Self-reported depressive symptomatology remained the strongest predictor of suicidal ideation, regardless of its order in the regression analyses. Prevention and treatment efforts may focus on mother-adolescent attachment and peer attachment (particularly in girls) to reduce risk for depression and suicidal ideation.     

Exploration of the links among fathers' unresolved states of mind with respect to attachment,atypical paternal behavior,and disorganized infant–father attachment

Atypical maternal behavior has consistently been identified as a precursor of disorganized infant–mother attachment, but to date, no research has examined the role of atypical paternal behavior in the development of disorganized infant–father attachment. This study aims to enhance our understanding and conceptualization of infant–father attachment by examining the role of fathers' unresolved states of mind and the display of atypical paternal behavior in the development of disorganized infant–father attachment. Thirty‐one middle‐class couples participated in this study. Maternal and paternal Adult Attachment Interviews (C. George, N. Kaplan, & M. Main, 1996 ) were completed prenatally and at infant age 6 months, respectively. Infant–mother and infant–father dyads participated in the Strange Situation paradigm (M. Ainsworth, M. Blehar, E. Waters, & S. Wall, 1978 ) when the infants were 12 and 18 months of age, respectively. The Atypical Maternal Behavior Instrument for Assessment and Classification (E. Bronfman, E. Parsons, & K. Lyons‐Ruth, 1999 ) was used to assess maternal and paternal behavior during the Strange Situation. Maternal states of mind regarding attachment predicted infant–mother attachment relationships, and paternal states of mind predicted infant–father attachment relationships. Atypical maternal behavior was associated with infant–mother disorganized attachment; however, atypical paternal behavior did not predict infant–father disorganized attachment. Thus, it is possible that other factors, yet to be uncovered, might contribute to the development of infant–father disorganized attachment.     

Perceived Attachment Security to Father, Academic Self-Concept and School Performance in Language Mastery

This study examined the relations between 8–12-year-olds’ perceived attachment security to father, academic self-concept and school performance in language mastery. One hundred and twenty two French students’ perceptions of attachment to mother and to father were explored with the Security Scale and their academic self-concept was assessed with the French adaptation of the Self Perception Profile. Students’ grade point average in language mastery was obtained from teachers and their reading performances were evaluated with a written word identification test. Attachment to father was found to be the only significant predictor, among attachment variables, of children’s grade point average in language mastery even after controling for sex, age and cognitive performance. Finally, results confirmed the mediating role of academic self-concept in the relation between attachment to father and grade point average in language mastery.     

Perceptions of parent‐child attachment,social self‐efficacy,and peer relationships in middle childhood

Relationships among attachment to each parent, children's social self‐efficacy, and the quality of peer relations (attachment to peers and perceptions of victimization) were explored with 67 fifth and sixth graders (31 female) attending a rural elementary school. Results of hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed main effects for gender and attachment to mother relative to the attachment to peers variable, with girls and more securely attached children reporting higher quality attachment to peers. Main effects were also detected for gender and attachment to father relative to social self‐efficacy, with girls and more securely attached children exhibiting higher self‐efficacy. No main effects were observed relative to the peer victimization variable. None of the interaction effects involving gender and attachment to each parent relative to attachment to peers, peer victimization, and social self‐efficacy were significant. Finally, evidence for mediation of attachment to father on attachment to peers by children's social self‐efficacy was revealed. Implications of the results are discussed and ideas for future research are provided. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Four‐model approach to adolescent–parent attachment relationships and adolescents' loneliness,school belonging,and teacher appraisal

This study tested monotropy, hierarchy, independence, and integration conceptual models of adolescent–mother and adolescent–father attachment to explain adolescents' perceived social interrelationships with extrafamilial attachment figures (peers, teachers). Participants included 356 Israeli adolescents (12–15 years). More adolescents were significantly classified as securely attached to mothers than to fathers, but high concordances emerged. Results supported two of the attachment models, hierarchy and integration, as explaining variation in adolescents' perceived extrafamilial interrelationships. As per the hierarchy attachment model, adolescent–mother attachment outweighed adolescent–father attachment to some extent in predicting adolescents' perceived social interrelationship measures. As per the integration attachment model, significant differences emerged on most social interrelationship measures between the 4 distinct subgroups: secure attachment to both parents, neither, only father, only mother. The Discussion section focuses on the unique importance of attachment to each parent for typically developing junior high students.     

母亲守门行为与父子依恋的关系：父亲教养投入的中介作用

以597个核心家庭的父亲、母亲和青少年为研究对象,通过问卷调查探讨了母亲守门行为与父子依恋的关系以及父亲教养投入在其中的中介作用。结果表明：（1）母亲开门行为正向预测父子依恋,母亲关门行为负向预测父子依恋;（2）母亲开门行为通过正向预测父亲教养投入的部分中介作用间接预测父子依恋,而母亲关门行为通过负向预测父亲教养投入的部分中介作用间接预测父子依恋。研究结果扩展了母亲守门行为的作用效果研究,对家庭教育实践具有一定的指导意义。     

父母教养投入对青少年亲社会行为的影响:亲子依恋的中介作用

在北京、广东、河南、辽宁等省市的20所中小学中选取小学五年级、初中二年级和高中二年级学生共2370名,采用父母教养投入问卷（青少年版）、亲子依恋问卷和亲社会行为问卷,通过结构方程模型探讨青少年感知的父母教养投入行为对其亲社会行为的影响及其作用机制。结果表明：（1）青少年感知的父母教养投入显著正向预测青少年的亲社会行为,母亲的影响显著大于父亲;（2）亲子依恋在父母教养投入对青少年亲社会行为的影响中具有中介作用;（3）父亲和母亲教养投入影响青少年亲社会行为的作用机制存在差异,其中父亲教养投入通过父子依恋的完全中介作用对亲社会行为产生正向影响;母亲教养投入对亲社会行为的影响既会通过母子依恋的部分中介作用发挥积极作用,也会通过父子依恋的遮掩效应产生负向削弱作用。     

Interplay between Attachment to Peers and Parents in Korean Adolescents’ Behavior Problems

The present study investigated the relative contribution of style of peer attachment (secure, anxious, avoidant) and quality of attachment to parents on behavior problems in Korean adolescents. In addition, we examined the role of paternal and maternal attachment separately as a potential moderator in the relationship between style of peer attachment and internalizing and externalizing behavior problems. Middle school students (245 males, 209 females) completed the Korean version of the Adolescent Friendship Attachment Scale, Inventory of Parental and Peer Attachment-Revised, and Youth Self-Report. Attachment to peers and parents as predictors of behavior problems were tested via hierarchical multiple regression analyses. Results revealed that anxious peer attachment remained the strongest predictor of behavior problems among adolescents (internalizing behavior problems β?=?.18, p?<?.01; externalizing behavior problems β?=?.21, p? <?.001), indicating the relative importance of peer relationship compared to attachment to parents. Paternal attachment significantly moderated the relationship between avoidant peer attachment and externalizing behavior problems (β?=?.15, p?<?.05), even when the main effect of avoidant peer attachment on externalizing behavior problems was not significant. Results highlight the role of both attachments to peers and parents on adolescents’ psychological adjustment.     

工读学校学生孤独感的特点及其与依恋风格的关系

采用《中学生孤独感问卷》和《关系问卷》,对上海市194名工读学校学生和112名普通学校学生进行调查,结果发现：工读学校学生与普通学校学生在孤独感各维度都存在显著或极其显著的差异;工读学校学生孤独感不存在显著的性别差异;在对不同依恋对象（母亲、父亲和同伴）的依恋风格中,工读学校学生的孤独感更容易受同伴依恋风格的影响。     

Spirituality,Self‐Representations,and Attachment to Parents: A Longitudinal Study of Roman Catholic College Seminarians

The author used an attachment theory framework to explore relationships between early attachment to parents and seminarians' later self‐representations and relationship with God. Attachment to mother was a key variable in predicting seminarians' level of self‐esteem and internalized shame as well as the quality of their relationship with God. This study suggests that a secure relationship with God may, over time, have a moderating effect on low self‐esteem. Furthermore, an individual's style of early attachment to mother may influence the quality of later spiritual experiences in relation to God. Implications for counseling are discussed from the perspective of attachment theory.     

Relationship between Attachment Security and Rejection Sensitivity in Early Adolescence

Rejection sensitivity (RS) is the disposition to defensively expect, perceive and over-react to perceived rejection by others. RS has been theorized to originate from early attachment. However, this hypothesized link remains untested. This study aims to examine the relationship between attachment security and rejection sensitivity in early adolescence. Eight-graders (N = 406) completed self-report measures of attachment security and rejection sensitivity. Attachment security to father and mother were found to be associated. Attachment dimensions-trust and alienation from mother were significant predictors of RS in the adolescents. Alienation from mother mediated the link between alienation from father and RS in the adolescents. The two forms of RS- anxious RS and angry RS were predicted by different dimensions of attachment to mother.     

Maternal depression and dyadic interaction: the role of maternal attachment style

Maternal mental health and the contents of her representational world are important determinants of early parent–child relationship. We examined, first, the role of prenatal and postnatal depressive symptoms and maternal attachment style in predicting the quality of mother–child interaction. Second, we analysed whether the secure‐autonomous attachment style can protect the dyadic interaction from the negative effects of maternal depression. The participants were 59 mother–infant pairs examined during pregnancy (T1), 4–5 months postpartum (T2) and when the children were approximately 14 months old (T3). Maternal attachment style was assessed with a modified Adult Attachment Interview ‐procedure, depressive symptoms with Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, and observed mother–child interaction with Care Index. The results show that autonomous mothers were more sensitive and responsive and their children more co‐operative than dyads with dismissing maternal attachment style. As hypothesized, mothers with the combination of both prenatal and postpartum depressive symptoms were highly unresponsive in their dyadic interaction. Further, prenatal depressive symptoms had a stronger impact on maternal unresponsiveness than postnatal symptoms. As hypothesized, mother's autonomous attachment style protected the mother–child interaction from the negative impact of maternal postnatal depressive symptoms, whereas dyads with preoccupied mothers were especially at risk for interaction problems when mothers had postpartum depressive symptoms. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.