Attachment is the degree to which an individual has affective ties to other persons. In the work of Travis Warner Hirschi, attachment is an aspect of the social bond. Hirschi's social control theory proposes that delinquents fail to form or maintain a bond to society consisting of attachment, commitment and involvement. Attachment theory explains how, and in what way, the parents' relationship with the child influences development. Attachment cognitions representing greater security in close relationships were found to be associated with higher levels of perceived and enacted social support. The basic principle of attachment theory is that internalized representations of attachment relationships continue to influence interpersonal functioning during adolescent and adult development.
Sources of Social Support
and Attachment Styles among Israeli Arab Students
Adital Ben-Ari, School of Social Work, University of Haifa, Israel.
This study identifies patterns of utilization of social support among Israeli Arab
students. Findings show that Arab students
distinguish between emotional and instrumental support and allocate sources of support
accordingly. Emotional support is sought within the social network and instrumental
support is sought within the family.
Social Engagement and Attachment - A Phylogenetic Perspective
STEPHEN W. PORGES, University of Illinois at Chicago. Focuses on social engagement and the behavioral
and neurophysiological mechanisms that allow individuals to reduce psychological
and physical distance. Social engagement derived from the Polyvagal
Theory is presented.
Adult Attachment Styles, Perceived Social Support and Coping Strategies - Todd C. Ognibene, Nancy L. Collins.
The relations between adult attachment styles, perceived social support and the
use of various coping strategies was examined in a sample of young adults (N =
81). Participants completed measures of adult attachment style, perceived social
support from friends and family, and a modified version of the Ways of Coping
scale. Results indicated that secure individuals perceived more available
support from friends and family, and sought more social support in response to
stress. Although preoccupied adults also sought social support in response to
stress, they also tended to use escape/avoidance strategies.
Attachment Cognitions Predict Perceived and Enacted Social Support during Late Adolescence - David S. Herzberg, Constance Hammen, Dorli Burge, Shannon E. Daley, Joanne Davila, Nangel Lindberg, University of California–Los Angeles - This study examined the relationship between attachment cognitions and social support in a community sample of late-adolescent women. Participants were 129 women recruited as seniors from three Los Angeles high schools to take part in a 5-year longitudinal study of adolescent development.
Attachment and Perceived Social Support in Late Adolescence - Michelle D. Blain, Janny M. Thompson, Valerie E. Whiffen. Attachment theory suggests that perceptions of social support are afunction of two types of internal working models: model of self and model of others. Undergraduates completed questionnaires assessing attachment to parents and friends and perceived social support. Analyses confirmed that individuals reporting positive models of both self and others (secure attachment) also reported the highest levels of perceived social support from parents and friends and attachment to friends. A negative model of self or other (insecure attachment) had a negative impact on perceived social support and attachment to friends. A negative model of self had a particularly negative impact on attachment to friends for males.
The Relation of Maternal Directiveness and Child Attachment Security to Social Competence in Preschoolers - Linda Rose-Krasnor, Kenneth H. Rubin, Robert Coplan, Cathryn L. Booth. The primary focus of this study was the assessment of children's social competence in relation to two aspects of the mother-child relationship attachment security and maternal directiveness. Multiple regression analyses assessed relative contributions of maternal directiveness and attachment security to the prediction of child behaviour with the peer. Attachment security predicted positive social engagement. These results support previous research linking child-mother attachment security, maternal control patterns and children's social competence, although our findings showed the importance of separating the influences of attachment quality and the socialisation aspects of parenting.