Attachment Stability in College Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Short-Term Longitudinal Study on Adult Attachment Style, Emotion Regulation, and Maternal Emotional Availability
AUTHOR : 김성주, 정윤경
INFORMATION : page. 39~56 / 2024 Vol.31 No.2
ABSTRACT
Attachment theory focuses on relationships and bonds, particularly long-term. These early bonds, formed during the initial years of life, are not just transient but play a pivotal role in shaping the child's future emotional health and relationships, influencing attachments throughout life. The longitudinal stability of attachment styles, a pivotal aspect of attachment theory, has the potential to change over time as well. Consequently, it is important to examine the underlying assumptions. For these reasons, this study examines the stability and change in attachment styles with a focus on college students(19 ~ 24
years old) using a short-term longitudinal method. Assessments included Adult Attachment Relationships (Questionnaire (RQ), Relationships Scales Questionnaire (RSQ)), Emotion-Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ), Interaction Anxiousness Scale (IAS), and Lum Emotional Availability of Parents (LEAP) measure. The results demonstrated both stability and changes in adult attachment. More importantly, students who maintained a secure attachment style and those who transitioned from insecure attachment to secure attachment experienced higher levels of maternal emotional availability when compared to those maintaining an insecure attachment style. This study is the first attempt to identify stability and change in college students' adult attachment and its relation to interpersonal functioning, and maternal emotional availability. Limitations and suggestions for future research are also discussed.