Collaborators : Maryfrances Porter, Ph.D. Penny Marsh Kathleen McElhaney, Ph.D

Portrait of the Secure Teen as a Young Adult:Portrait of the Secure Teen as a Young Adult:

Predictions from Attachment to Family, Peer, and Predictions from Attachment to Family, Peer, and

Romantic Relationship FunctioningRomantic Relationship Functioning

Joseph P. AllenJoseph P. AllenUniversity of VirginiaUniversity of Virginia

Collaborators:Maryfrances Porter, Ph.D.Penny MarshKathleen McElhaney, Ph.D.F. Christy McFarlandJessica Meyer, Ph.D.Amanda Hare

Farah WilliamsDave SzwedoKatie LittleMeredyth EvansJill Antonishak, Ph.D.Katy Higgins

Claire StephensonMindy Schmidt, Ph.D.Glenda Insabella, Ph.D.Megan SchadJoanna ChangoErin Miga

Copies of this and related papers are available at:WWW.TEENRESEARCH.ORG

Understanding the Meaning of Understanding the Meaning of Attachment Beyond Infancy Attachment Beyond Infancy

Long-term Correlates of Adolescent Attachment SecurityLong-term Correlates of Adolescent Attachment Security Romantic RelationshipsRomantic Relationships Peer RelationshipsPeer Relationships Job CompetenceJob Competence Problem BehaviorsProblem Behaviors

Sleeper Effects/Reverse Sleeper EffectsSleeper Effects/Reverse Sleeper Effects Are Correlates Always Positive?Are Correlates Always Positive? Just what is the AAI really capturing in adolescence? Just what is the AAI really capturing in adolescence?

SampleSample

184 Adolescents, their Parents, Best Friends, and Other Friends184 Adolescents, their Parents, Best Friends, and Other Friends

Intensive Interviews and Observations with all parties (Total N over Intensive Interviews and Observations with all parties (Total N over first 10 years ~ 1600).first 10 years ~ 1600).

Equal numbers of Males and FemalesEqual numbers of Males and Females

Assessed Annually, Ages 13 to 22Assessed Annually, Ages 13 to 22

Socio-economically Diverse (Median Family Income= $40- $60K)Socio-economically Diverse (Median Family Income= $40- $60K)

31% African American; 69% European American31% African American; 69% European American

Very Low Attrition (< 1%)Very Low Attrition (< 1%)




Measures: Romantic Relationship QualitiesMeasures: Romantic Relationship Qualities

• Currently in an Exclusive Relationship – Self-reported

• Discomfort with Intimacy and Sexuality (reverse-coded)Behavioral Systems Questionnaire (Furman &Wehner,, 1994)

• Sexually active in past year – Self-reported

Attachment Security (AAI)

Exclusive relationshi

p

Age 14 Age 21

.25**

Predicting Romantic Relationship QualitiesPredicting Romantic Relationship Qualities

Adolescent Security Predicts Future Romantic Behavior

Comfort w/ Intimacy

Sexually Active

.29**

.24**Gender

Income

Measures: Peer and Parent Relationship QualityMeasures: Peer and Parent Relationship Quality

• Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment (Armsden & Greenberg, 1989) • A measure of relationship quality more than of attachment• Modified to allow others to report about our target adolescent.

• Quality of Relationship with Peers – Peer-reported (close-friend report)

• Quality of Relationship with Mother & Father Parental-report


Quality of Relshipw/

Peers

Age 14 Age 18

.28***

Predicting Peer & Parent Relationship QualityPredicting Peer & Parent Relationship Quality

Quality of Relshipw/

Mother

Quality of Relshipw/F

ather

.29***

.21*Gender

Income

Adolescent Security Robustly Predicts Future Relationship Quality

Measures: Career/Financial CompetenceMeasures: Career/Financial Competence

• Job Competence – Self-Perception Profile for Young Adults (Harter, 1988) Peer-reported (close-friend report)

• Financial Dependence Degree to which young adult is financially self-sufficient vs. dependent on parents.


Job Competence

(18)

Age 14 Age 18-22

.28***

Predicting Career/Financial CompetencePredicting Career/Financial Competence

Financial Dependence on Parents

(22)

-.22**

Gender

Income

Adolescent Security Robustly Predicts Career/Financial Competence

Measures: Violent BehaviorMeasures: Violent Behavior

• Violent Criminal Behavior – Youth Self-report (Elliott &Ageteon, 1989) • Number of reported violent acts in prior six months.


Violent Crim. Beh.

Age 14 Age 18

-.25**

Predicting Violent BehaviorPredicting Violent Behavior

Adolescent Security Predicts Lower Levels of Future Violent Behavior

Gender

Income

Summary (so far):

Security in Adolescence (age 14) linked to wide array of Security in Adolescence (age 14) linked to wide array of outcomes:outcomes:

Parent, Peer, and Romantic RelationshipsParent, Peer, and Romantic Relationships

Financial/career CompetenceFinancial/career Competence

Violent BehaviorViolent Behavior




Attachment & Development:

Sleeper and Reverse-Sleeper Effects

Working Hypothesis:Working Hypothesis:

Links to security can help us learn about developmental Links to security can help us learn about developmental salience of behaviors.salience of behaviors.

Help identify behaviors that are most salient at a given Help identify behaviors that are most salient at a given stage.stage.

Some behaviors won’t be ‘ripe’ at certain ages and won’t Some behaviors won’t be ‘ripe’ at certain ages and won’t be linked to security at those agesbe linked to security at those ages

Age 20

Financially Dependent

-.05


Age 14

Financial Independence Coming OnlineFinancial Independence Coming Online

The link between prior security and financial independence from parents only emerges at age 21

Age 18


-.01


Age 21

-.21*

Gender

Income

Age 20

Sex in Past Year

.03


Age 14

Sexual Intercourse in Past YearSexual Intercourse in Past Year

Age 19

Sex in Past Year

-.02

Sex in Past Year

Age 21

.26**

The link between security and sexual intercourse only appears at age 21

Gender

Income

Age 19

Violent Behavior

-.03


Age 14

Violent Criminal Behavior in Past YearViolent Criminal Behavior in Past Year

The Negative Relation Between Security and Violence Fades Over Time

Age 18

Violent Behavior

-.26**

Violent Behavior

Age 20

-.09

Gender

Income

Summary (Part 2)

Security is closely and developmentally linked to very wide Security is closely and developmentally linked to very wide array of behaviorsarray of behaviors

These broad linkages raise basic questions about the These broad linkages raise basic questions about the meaning of security in adolescence.meaning of security in adolescence.

Is the AAI capturing attachment vs. a broader capacity for Is the AAI capturing attachment vs. a broader capacity for social functioning (i.e., emotion regulation in social social functioning (i.e., emotion regulation in social interactions)?interactions)?

Summary (Part 2)

Is the AAI capturing attachment vs. a broader capacity for Is the AAI capturing attachment vs. a broader capacity for social functioning (i.e., emotion regulation in social social functioning (i.e., emotion regulation in social interactions).interactions).

Evidence from AAI ScoringEvidence from AAI Scoring

Coherence vs. Content of models or relationshipsCoherence vs. Content of models or relationships

Evidence from AAI correlates:Evidence from AAI correlates:


Obs’d Peer Engagement

Age 14 Age 13-17

.43***

Social Correlates Social Correlates Within Within AdolescenceAdolescence(Simple Correlations)(Simple Correlations)

Social Self-Efficacy

Sociometric Popularity

.27***

.39***


Obs’d Peer Engagement

Age 14 Age 13-17

.31***

Social Correlates Social Correlates Within Within AdolescenceAdolescence(Regression Weights)(Regression Weights)

Security is tightly linked to social functioning (even outside of an attachment context)

Social Self-Efficacy

Sociometric Popularity

.16*

.27***Multiple R = .54***




Percentage of Youths Recently Using Alcohol/MarijuanaPercentage of Youths Recently Using Alcohol/Marijuana

Popularity at 13 Predicts Long-term increased Alcohol/Marijuana Use.

(Allen et al., (2005). Child Development)


Binge Drinking

Age 14 Age 21

.19*

Predicting Binge DrinkingPredicting Binge Drinking

Adolescent Security also predicts long-term drinking problems.

Gender

Income




The Meaning of Security/Autonomy in Adolescence

Key Question:Key Question:

Is AAI security more than just a marker of social competence Is AAI security more than just a marker of social competence in adolescence?in adolescence?

What does it predict after removing effects of broader What does it predict after removing effects of broader social competence?social competence?

Long-term Predictions from Adolescent Attachment Security

Outcome βCovarying

Demographics only

βAlso Covarying

Adolescent markers of Social Competence

Exclusive Relationship

(21)

Comfort w/ Intimacy (21)

Sexually Active (21)

QualityRelshp. with Peers (18)

QualityRelshp. with Mother (18)

QualityRelshp. With Father (18)


Outcome βCovarying

Demographics only

βAlso Covarying



(21)

.25** .16


.29** .17+





Over and above teen

social competence:

Security is NOT linked to general dating behavior or affect.


Outcome βCovarying

Demographics only

βAlso covarying



(21)

.25** .16


.29** .17+


.24** .19*




Over and above teen

social competence:

Security IS linked to sexual activity.


Outcome βCovarying

Demographics only

βAlso covarying



(21)

.25** .16


.29** .17+


.24** .19*


.28*** -.10



Over and above teen

social competence:

Security is NOT linked to Quality of Peer Relationships


Outcome βCovarying

Demographics only

βAlso covarying



(21)

.25** .16


.29** .17+


.24** .19*


.28*** -.10


.29*** .33**


.21* .26*

Over and above teen

social competence:

Security IS linked to Ongoing Parental Relationships.


Outcome βcovarying demographics only

β also covaryingadolescent markers of

social competence

Job Competence (21)

.29*** .19+

Financial Independence (21)

.22** .10

Binge Drinking (21) -.19* .16+

Violent Crim. Beh. (18)

Over and above teen

social competence:

Security is NOT linked to Career Behaviors or Binge Drinking


Outcome βcovarying demographics only

β also covaryingadolescent markers of

social competence

Job Competence (21)

.29*** .19+

Financial Independence (21)

-.22** -.10

Binge Drinking (21) .19* .16+

Violent Crim. Beh. (18)

-.25** -.31**

Over and above teen

social competence:

Security IS related to Violent Criminal Behavior.

Two-Roles for AAI SecurityTwo-Roles for AAI Security

A Marker of Broad Social AdaptationA Marker of Broad Social Adaptation

Security as Part of a Social CascadeSecurity as Part of a Social Cascade

Attachment Security

Attachment to Peers

Exclusive Dating

Relationship

Financial Independence

.30*** .28** .23**

Age 14 Age 18 Age 20 Age 21

Two-Roles for AAI SecurityTwo-Roles for AAI Security

A Marker of Broad Social AdaptationA Marker of Broad Social Adaptation

Direct Long-term Links to Particularly Affectively Intense Direct Long-term Links to Particularly Affectively Intense ExperiencesExperiences

Security as Direct Predictor of Security as Direct Predictor of Quality of Parental RelationshipsQuality of Parental Relationships

Attachment Security

Rel. w/ Mother

.33***

Age 14 Age 18

Social Competence

.54***

LimitationsLimitations

Non-experimental nature of dataNon-experimental nature of data

Reliance on self-report for many measuresReliance on self-report for many measures

NOT following teens all the way into adulthood (yet). NOT following teens all the way into adulthood (yet).

ConclusionsConclusions

Attachment Security/Autonomy at Age 14 as a Remarkably Broad Attachment Security/Autonomy at Age 14 as a Remarkably Broad Predictor of Young Adult:Predictor of Young Adult:

Relationship CompetenceRelationship Competence

Financial/Career CompetenceFinancial/Career Competence

Problematic BehaviorsProblematic Behaviors

Tight Linkage to Developmental Progression of CompetenciesTight Linkage to Developmental Progression of Competencies

And in some cases to developmentally-linked problems (e.g., And in some cases to developmentally-linked problems (e.g., drinking)drinking)

Copies of this and related papers are available at:

www.TeenResearch.org

ConclusionsConclusions

Can Adolescent Security be viewed as primarily a marker of Social Can Adolescent Security be viewed as primarily a marker of Social Competence? Competence?

Perhaps, for Broad Social BehaviorsPerhaps, for Broad Social Behaviors

Peer relationships & Job competencePeer relationships & Job competence

Probably Not, for understanding affectively intense behaviorsProbably Not, for understanding affectively intense behaviors

Sex, violence & relationships with parentsSex, violence & relationships with parents

Copies of this and related papers are available at:

www.TeenResearch.org

Documents

Collaborators : Maryfrances Porter, Ph.D. Penny Marsh Kathleen McElhaney, Ph.D