Effects of Insecure Attachment to Parents in Childhood on Adolescent Relational Aggression to Romantic Partners: Mediated by Rejection Sensitivity
AUTHOR : 임정하, 최정원
INFORMATION : page. 51~69 / 2019 Vol.26 No.3
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to investigate the mediating effects of rejection sensitivity on the link between insecure attachment to parents in childhood to adolescent romantic relational aggression. Here, a total of 298 undergraduate students who were currently in committed relationships participated in the study. The data were collected using self-report questionnaires. The collected data were analyzed using t-tests, Pearson’s correlations, structural equation modeling, and multi-group analysis. The results were as follows. First, on average, the female group reported a higher level of rejection sensitivity and romantic relational aggression compared to the male group. Second, insecure attachment to parents in childhood influenced romantic relational aggression directly and indirectly via the rejection sensitivity of the adolescents. Third, the mediation model was invariant across adolescent gender. These results suggest a highlighted role of rejection sensitivity, which may increase relational aggression in a romantic relationship. Attachment theory and the rejection sensitivity model may provide a useful framework for understanding the escalation of relational aggression in intimate relationships.