Parent-Adolescent Relations

Historical Perspective

Attachment, simply defined, is the inclination for one individual to seek closeness with another individual (e.g., parents, romantic partner), to feel safe when that person is present, and to feel anxious in his or her absence. From the time they are born, children begin to form an attachment with their caregivers. Early in development, children learn what to expect from their parents: “If I cry, I will be comforted (or I will not be comforted),” or “if I am hungry, I will be fed (or I will not be fed),” or “if I smile, I will be smiled at.” Based on their experiences and interactions, according to attachment theory, the child will create a “map” (i.e., a “working model of attachment”) of what to expect when interacting with the parent. This map will then help guide future interactions between parent and child.

John Bowlby and his colleagues believed that children could be classified into one of four categories of attachment based on the working models the child created regarding his or her interaction with the parent: (1) secure, (2) anxious-ambivalent, (3) anxious-avoidant, and (4) disorganized. Each of the four types of attachment were thought to reflect certain strategies the child would use either to draw a caregiver closer or to dismiss or devalue the importance of the caregiver. There is strong evidence that secure attachment with a parental figure in childhood leads to greater emotional regulation, less personal distress, higher levels of social support, and better overall psychological [Page 322]adjustment in adolescence. Conversely, insecurely attached children (i.e., those classified as anxious-ambivalent, anxious-avoidant, or disorganized) tend to have greater difficulty regulating negative affect, have poorer peer relationships, and exhibit greater levels of psychopathology.

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