Young adults' adjustment to university: the role of parental support, intimacy and attachment

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Title: Young adults' adjustment to university: the role of parental support, intimacy and attachment
Author(s): Blaich, Susan; Karantzas, Gery C.
Abstract: Numerous studies have examined the important role that parents provide in assisting young adults adjust to the often stressful transition to university. Attachment theory has provided a useful framework in understanding the function of parents during this period of heightened stress, however, few studies have examined how young adults' preparedness to seek emotional intimacy from parents may further assist in adjusting to the pressures of university. The current study examined young adults' attachment bonding and intimacy with parents across a sample 85 first year university students (M = 19.10, SD = .80). Findings revealed that young adult's parental attachment and feelings of intimacy differentially predicted the degree of paternal and maternal support perceived by first year tertiary students. Furthermore, paternal and maternal intimacy were found to predict young adults' adjustment to university. In addition, maternal attachment was found to predict first year students' university adjustment. Interestingly, parental support was not found to mediate young adults' parental attachment and intimacy on university adjustment. Results are discussed in reference to attachment theory and Eriksonian psychosocial development.
Publication type: Conference paper
Research centre: Swinburne University of Technology
Source: Proceedings of 'The good, the bad, and the ugly in relationships at the personal, national, and international level', the 5th Annual Conference of the Australian Psychological Society's Interest Group on Psychology of Relationships, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 12-13 November 2005 / Terry Bowles (ed.), pp. 7-15
Publication year: 2005
Keyword(s): Adjustment; Attachment theory; Parental support; Students; Transition; University commencement; Young adults
Publisher: Australian Psychological Society
ISBN: 9780909881290, 0909881294
Publisher URL: http://www.groups.psychology.org.au/porig/events_pd/
Publisher URL: http://hdl.handle.net/1885/43179
Peer reviewed