1. University of Virginia1 & James Madison University2
Attachment in Early Adolescence as a Predictor of Professional Development in Young Adulthood
Jessica Kansky1, David E. Szwedo2, Elisabeth A. Burleson2, & Joseph Allen1
University of Virginia1 & James Madison University2
We would like to thank the National Institute of Child Health & Human Development for funding awarded to Joseph P. Allen, Principal Investigator,
(R01 HD & R01-MH58066) for funding to conduct this study as well as for the write-up of this study.
Introduction
Measures
Youth Attachment (Age 13): The Adult Attachment Interview assesses teens’ childhood relationships with each of their parents. Teens were assigned attachment classifications based on the coherence and quality of their responses. The Attachment Q-sort procedure was used to indicate qualities and categorization of attachment as either Secure/Autonomy or Dismissing.
Grade Point Average (Age 13): Youth’s reported Grade Point Average in 7th grade was used as an objective measure of academic and intellectual ability.
Professional Development (Age 26): The Young Adult Adjustment Scale assesses young adult social and professional development. Young adults’ mothers completed the YAAS including the following subscales: Positive Work Performance, Satisfaction with Current Job, Successfulness, Positive Academic/Professional Ambition, and Youth Positive Functional Independence.
Attachment & Work
Secure attachment is related to workplace vigor, positive workplace behaviors, socializing with coworkers, and occupational commitment (Little et al., 2010; Scrima et al., 2015).
Insecure attachment predicts higher career turnover and poorer perceived social support and self-efficacy in the workplace (Johnston & Feeney, 2015; Tziner et al., 2014).
Scholastic Ability
Adolescent ambition and educational performance are positively related to social status attainment and earnings (Ashby et al., 2010).
Professional Development
Positive parenting of teens is linked to young adult career satisfaction, success, autonomy, and commitment (Gordon & Cui, 2013).
Ambition values and teen career aspirations are positively associated with educational performance (Ashby et al., 2010).
Teen Dismissing Attachment (age 13) in regression analyses as a predictor of professional development variables (age 26)
Teen Dismissing Attachment and GPA (age 13) in regression analyses as predictors of professional development variables (age 26)
Blue represents standard estimate of teen attachment dismissing in regression analysis
Pink represents standard estimate of GPA in regression analysis
Adding GPA as a predictor in regression analyses resulted in Teen Dismissing Attachment standard estimates to decrease in many analyses, suggesting GPA’s role as a mediator
Results
4. Youth’s attachment interacted with grade-point-average to predict youth’s positive work performance, such that having a more secure attachment (or having a less dismissing attachment) buffers against the negative effects of having a lower GPA.
1. Youth secure attachment uniquely predicted positive qualities of professional development in young adulthood.
2. Youth dismissing attachment uniquely predicted negative qualities of professional development in young adulthood.
Hypotheses
3. Youth grade-point-average uniquely predicted positive qualities of professional development in young adulthood.
1. Youth secure attachment will uniquely predict positive qualities of professional development in young adulthood.
Interaction Results:
High Secure Attachment predicts positive work performance regardless of GPA
Low Dismissing Attachment predicts positive work performance regardless of GPA
High GPA will predict positive work performance regardless of attachment quality
High Secure Attachment or Low Dismissing Attachment will help youth compensate for a lower GPA for predicting positive work performance
2. Youth dismissing attachment will uniquely predict negative qualities of professional development in young adulthood.
3. Youth grade-point-average will uniquely predict positive qualities of professional development in young adulthood.
Conclusions
4. There will be an interaction between youth’s attachment and grade-point- average to predict youth’s professional development, such that having a positive attachment will buffer against the negative effects of having a lower GPA.
Early Adolescence Constructs
Secure Attachment predicted positive qualities of professional development
Dismissing Attachment predicted negative qualities of professional development
Grade Point Average predicted positive qualities of professional development
Attachment and GPA for Professional Development in Young Adulthood
Both Attachment styles and GPA were significant independent predictors for professional development in young adulthood
However, when GPA was accounted for, the effects of attachment largely diminished.
Strong secure attachment and low dismissing attachment to parents as a teen may help youth compensate for a lower GPA in predicting positive work performance.
Supportive relationships may provide an additional boost to supplement intellectual abilities as many other social skills and abilities are critical for professional development.
Having the potential for more positive (or less negative) relationships with others might help facilitate positive work performance even if intellectual ability is more limited.
Method
Teen Attachment Security (age 13) in regression analyses as a predictor of professional development variables (age 26)
Teen Attachment Security and GPA (age 13) in regression analyses as predictors of professional development variables (age 26)
Participants
Data were collected from a larger study of adolescent social development: N=184
Total participants included: 86 males, 98 females
Number of participants for longitudinal analyses: participants
Race and Ethnicity: 107 Caucasian, 53 African American, 24 Mixed/ Other
Median family income = $40,000-$59,000
Green represents standard estimate of teen attachment security in regression analyses
Pink represents standard estimate of GPA in regression analyses
Adding GPA as a predictor in regression analyses resulted in Teen Attachment Security standard estimates to decrease in many analyses, suggesting GPA’s role as a mediator
Note: M= Mother Report. Gender and income included in all analyses.
p< .05*, p< .01**, p< .001***