Abstract

Attachment security to mother as a contributing factor to the affective quality of, and interpersonal behavior involved in, adolescents' parent and peer relationships was investigated, as was concordance in attachment security to mother and to friends. One hundred and five adolescents (75 girls and 30 boys) in grades 9 and 10 participated. Attachment security was assessed categorically using The Relationship Questionnaire (RQ; Bartholomew & Horowitz, 1991). Subjects completed a daily diary for one week in which they described two interactions per day, either positive or negative, one with parents and one with close friends, and a measure of emotional expressiveness (EES; Kring et al., 1994). The diary entries were coded to assess the hypothesized interpersonal manifestations (self-disclosure, emotional expressiveness, conflict, and positive versus negative valence) of attachment. Findings revealed little association between attachment to mother and to friend; most subjects were securely attached to friends. As hypothesized, securely attached subjects described more affectively positive and less affectively negative interactions with parents in their diaries than did insecurely attached subjects. Further, secure subjects used more negotiation, while insecure subjects used more disengagement, as conflict resolution strategies with parents. Attachment groups did not significantly differ in self-disclosure, or emotional expressiveness and amount of conflict in their diary entries. However, securely attached girls were higher in emotional expressiveness (EES) than were insecurely attached girls. Significant gender differences, consistent with past research, were also documented. These findings suggest attachment security continues to hold implications for adolescents' interpersonal behaviors and the affective quality of their relationships.