Subscribe
The latest psychology and neuroscience discoveries.
My Account
  • Mental Health
  • Social Psychology
  • Cognitive Science
  • Psychopharmacology
  • Neuroscience
  • About
No Result
View All Result
PsyPost
PsyPost
No Result
View All Result
Home Exclusive Relationships and Sexual Health Attachment Styles

Attachment in the families of young adults can be separated into three distinct psychological components, study finds

by Vladimir Hedrih
January 3, 2023
in Attachment Styles, Social Psychology
Share on TwitterShare on Facebook
Stay informed on the latest psychology and neuroscience research—follow PsyPost on LinkedIn for daily updates and insights.

A new study examined emotional attachment between members of families with an adolescent or a young adult (18-23 years of age). Results showed that emotional attachment in these families can be described using three distinct psychological components and that an increase in stress of parents predicted attachment insecurity in the family. The study was published in the Journal of Marriage and Family.

When children grow up to become young adults, they enter a period of dramatic transitions. These transitions include leaving the parental home, developing a career, forming long-term romantic relationships, and starting a family. This is a period when attachment of young adults to their parents changes as they seek to separate and form strong attachments outside their childhood family.

However, although the (emotional) attachment to parents changes and is renegotiated, a successful transition through this period means that this renegotiation is successful and that the relationship with parents becomes different but remains intact. This is crucial for a healthy and fulfilling adulthood. It is particularly important in the context of extended transition to adulthood that is typical of modern developed societies.

“The developmental period from late adolescence to young adulthood is often marked by significant life changes. These changes affect both young adults and their families of origin, which means they all need to adjust and renegotiate their relationships,” said study author Danming An, a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at the University of Iowa.

During this period, parents may also experience increased stress related to their role as parents when their children reach young adulthood. This is particularly likely when family members have difficulty adjusting to their new life roles and relationships. This type of stress is called “parenting stress.”

“We were interested in understanding mutual attachment relationships in the families of young adults, as well as how attachments among family members are associated with parents’ perceived stress about both parent-youth and interparental relationships,” An explained.

To study the properties of emotional attachment in families with young adults and the association between parental stress and the security of this attachment, An and her colleagues analyzed data from a longitudinal study of mothers and infants from the U.S. East Coast metropolitan area. This project started back in 1988 and has been running for over 20 years.

“Data used in this paper are part of a longitudinal research study of the Child and Family Research Section in the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development,” An noted.

The study used data from periods when the child was in late adolescence (18 years of age) and young adulthood (23 years of age). The average age of mothers and fathers was 50 and 52 years, respectively, when their child, now adolescent, was 18 years old. It was 55 and 67, when their child, now young adult, reached 23. Data from 156 families, consisting of mother, father and their child (now adolescent/young adult) were used.

All participants completed assessments of their attachment to the other two family members participating in the study (Adult Attachment Scale) when the child (young adult) was 23 years old. Parents completed assessments of parenting stress when their child included in the study was 18 and 23 years old (Stress Index for Parents of Adolescents).

Results showed that attachment in these families can be adequately described through three components: each family member’s attachment style, the characteristics of each family member as an attachment figure, and specific patterns of attachment between family members. Additionally, an increase in parenting stress of parents predicted the increase in attachment insecurity within the family.

“In most cases, attachment security among young adults and their parents depends on multiple factors,” An told PsyPost. “Each family member’s characteristics (such as how they generally perceive and react to close relationships) and dyad-specific interactions between family members contribute to attachment security in the family.”

“Increases in stress from late adolescence to young adulthood within family member dyads is associated with less secure attachment in young adulthood, such that family members in the dyad may have trouble trusting and relying on one another, and feel less secure about and respond less positively to their family in general.”

“However, when there is tension in a parent-youth dyad, the involved parent and the young adult tend to seek closeness and support from the other parent. This dynamic suggests that one parent may be able to intervene positively when the other parent and young adult child are in conflict.”

An also described a finding that was particularly surprising.

“Our findings revealed interesting asymmetries between mother-youth and father-youth relationships,” she explained. “For example, young adults’ attachments to their mothers are primarily explained by their personal characteristics, such as the young adult’s general perception about close relationships and the mother’s general response style – that is, as long as the young adult has a positive view of family relationships, and the mother generally responds positively to the family, the young adult is likely to be securely attached to the mother.”

“By contrast, young adults’ attachments to their fathers are not only based on young adults’ and their fathers’ general personal characteristics, but also the young adult’s unique interpersonal dynamics with their father,” An said. “Perhaps in traditional nuclear families, mothers serve as a ‘default’ and consistent secure base, whereas young adults’ relationships with their fathers depend more on fathers’ roles, resources, personality compatibility, etc.”

The study provides important insights into the attachment processes occurring in families of young adults. However, certain limitations should be taken into account. Notably, the sample size was not large enough to compare families of young adults of different gender. The sample consisted mostly of European American intact families of middle and upper socioeconomic status. Results on families with different cultural and social backgrounds might not be the same.

“Attachment relationships in the family vary across different family structures and cultural traditions and can depend on the family’s social and economic resources,” An said. “Findings from our sample of mostly White, middle-class nuclear families may not generalize to the whole population. We hope future work can address the diverse ways family members attach to one another in different ethnic and cultural groups and contexts.”

The study, “Parenting stress and attachment insecurity in young adulthood: A social relations model”, was authored by Danming An, Justin Jager, Diane L. Putnick, and Marc H. Bornstein.

TweetSendScanShareSendPin4ShareShareShareShareShare

RELATED

New study sheds light on how personality, power, and identity shape relationship satisfaction
Relationships and Sexual Health

New study sheds light on how personality, power, and identity shape relationship satisfaction

May 9, 2025

Personality traits and perceived power don’t operate the same way in every relationship. A new study suggests that identity and relationship context change how these factors influence satisfaction, challenging long-held assumptions about what makes romantic partnerships work.

Read moreDetails
Narcissism may be fueling political polarization, according to new psychology research
Narcissism

Narcissism may be fueling political polarization, according to new psychology research

May 9, 2025

A new study suggests that narcissistic personality traits—especially feelings of entitlement and antagonism—are strongly linked to political polarization. The findings highlight how psychological tendencies may fuel both loyalty to political in-groups and hostility toward opposing sides.

Read moreDetails
Scientists studied Fox News — here’s what they discovered
Political Psychology

Scientists studied Fox News — here’s what they discovered

May 8, 2025

Fox News, a top-rated cable network since 1996, is known for its conservative commentary and strong influence on public opinion. Researchers have increasingly studied its role in shaping Americans’ views on politics, science, and conspiracy theories.

Read moreDetails
Children’s facial expressions reveal fear response to gender-nonconforming boys, study finds
Social Psychology

Children’s facial expressions reveal fear response to gender-nonconforming boys, study finds

May 8, 2025

A new study using facial recognition software found that children react with subtle fear when shown stories about boys who break gender norms. The findings shed light on early emotional bias against gender-nonconforming peers, especially feminine boys.

Read moreDetails
Online incel forums generate “dark emotional energy” that reinforces toxic group identity
Social Psychology

Online incel forums generate “dark emotional energy” that reinforces toxic group identity

May 8, 2025

Online incel communities maintain their cohesion through repeated exchanges of negative emotion, not positive connection. A new study introduces the idea of “dark emotional energy” to explain how despair and rage serve as bonding rituals in these toxic digital spaces.

Read moreDetails
Neuroscientists uncover a fascinating fact about social thinking in the brain
Cognitive Science

Neuroscientists uncover a fascinating fact about social thinking in the brain

May 7, 2025

Our brains process social similarity in two ways—by comparing people to each other and by comparing them to ourselves. A new study using brain imaging reveals that these forms of person knowledge are represented in separate areas of the brain.

Read moreDetails
Women underestimate their spatial intelligence—even when they perform just as well as men
Cognitive Science

Women underestimate their spatial intelligence—even when they perform just as well as men

May 6, 2025

New research shows women underestimate their spatial intelligence, even when they perform just as well as men. This gender gap in self-perception—shaped by personality traits like narcissism and modesty—could help explain why fewer women pursue STEM careers.

Read moreDetails
Women also prefer younger romantic partners, according to a major new psychology study
Dating

Women also prefer younger romantic partners, according to a major new psychology study

May 6, 2025

A new study finds that both men and women are slightly more attracted to younger partners during blind dates, challenging the common belief that only men prioritize youth. These real-world findings reveal a mismatch between people’s stated preferences and actual desire.

Read moreDetails

SUBSCRIBE

Go Ad-Free! Click here to subscribe to PsyPost and support independent science journalism!

STAY CONNECTED

LATEST

Little-known psychedelic drug shows promise in treating low motivation in depression

AI-driven brain training reduces impulsiveness in kids with ADHD, study finds

Neuroscientists use brain implants and AI to map language processing in real time

New study sheds light on how personality, power, and identity shape relationship satisfaction

Even people who don’t enjoy music still feel the urge to move to it

People with lower cognitive ability more likely to fall for pseudo-profound bullshit

Narcissism may be fueling political polarization, according to new psychology research

Scientists studied Fox News — here’s what they discovered

         
       
  • Contact us
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms and Conditions
[Do not sell my information]

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

Subscribe
  • My Account
  • Cognitive Science Research
  • Mental Health Research
  • Social Psychology Research
  • Drug Research
  • Relationship Research
  • About PsyPost
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy