DOI

https://doi.org/10.25772/6910-an70

Defense Date

1992

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Marilyn T. Erickson

Abstract

The relationship among perceptions of child-parent attachment, current adult attachment style, psychological symptoms, and interpersonal problems was investigated. Subjects were 94 female undergraduate students at a large urban university in Richmond, Virginia. The modal age of the subjects was 22 years. Subjects were administered a packet comprised of six pencil-and-paper measures: Parental Caregiving Measure, Bartholomew Adult Attachment Style Questionnaire, Social Avoidance and Distress Scale, Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale, Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire-Revised, and Inventory of Interpersonal Problems. The results indicated that the set of child-parent attachment and adult attachment style variables significantly predicted fear of negative evaluation, social avoidance and distress, and interpersonal problems, but not depression. Adult attachment style was the most important predictor of both psychological and interpersonal problems. As predicted, Secure adult attachment was negatively correlated with depression, fear of negative evaluation, and interpersonal problems. Preoccupied adult attachment was significantly positively correlated with depression, fear of negative evaluation, and interpersonal problems. Fearful attachment style was significantly positively correlated with social avoidance and distress, depression, and interpersonal problems. Dismissing adult attachment was significantly positively correlated with fear of negative evaluation. Results of the current study have important implications for both prevention and treatment of psychological and interpersonal dysfunction. Future research should investigate the association between attachment styles and personality disorders.

Rights

© The Author

Is Part Of

VCU University Archives

Is Part Of

VCU Theses and Dissertations

Date of Submission

11-2025

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