Attachment development in emerging adults' romantic relationships and friendships
Abstract
Psychologists suggest that development early in life is related to the behaviors and personality that each individual exhibits later in life. Research shows that development continues into adulthood and throughout an individual's lifetime. In fact, human development is related to the environment around the individual as well as the individuals' interactions with others, especially individuals' primary caregivers (Bowlby 1988). These relationships can be seen in attachment. Attachment behavior is any form of behavior that one individual uses to maintain an attachment to another individual who is believed to be better able to cope with the world. This research project examines the associations among these early experiences in emerging adults' lives in the context of their attachment styles, their attributions, and their current relationships with romantic partners and peers. One hundred thirteen undergraduate female students in Psychology courses at the University of Central Florida between the ages of 18- to 25-years completed a packet of questionnaires assessing these variables. All participants indicated that they were involved in a relationship at the time of the study. Results of this study indicate that emerging adults' attachment to their parents, their perceptions of their parents, their attributions about their romantic partners, and their attachment to their partners and their peers are related significantly. These findings emphasize the importance of research investigating the relationships among attachment to parents and relationships during emerging adulthood.
Notes
This item is only available in print in the UCF Libraries. If this is your thesis or dissertation, you can help us make it available online for use by researchers around the world by STARS for more information.
Thesis Completion
2009
Semester
Spring
Advisor
Renk, Kimberly
Degree
Bachelor of Science (B.S.)
College
College of Sciences
Degree Program
Psychology
Subjects
Dissertations, Academic -- Sciences;Sciences -- Dissertations, Academic
Format
Identifier
DP0022413
Language
English
Access Status
Open Access
Length of Campus-only Access
None
Document Type
Honors in the Major Thesis
Recommended Citation
Vazquez, Karinna O., "Attachment development in emerging adults' romantic relationships and friendships" (2009). HIM 1990-2015. 862.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/honorstheses1990-2015/862