Rappresentazioni della famiglia e stili di attaccamento in adolescenti di famiglie unite e separate

This research has the aim to study the attachment styles of adolescents and their parents, proposing to compare the quality of the representations in adolescents living in separate and united families. We have been administered for adolescents: an semi structured interview on the attachment in the latency and adolescence; the Offer Self-Image Questionnaire, a Differential Semantic, for the aims of this research that assesses the family representation. We have been administered for parents: the Adult Attachment Questionnaire and the same Differential Semantic administered to their children. Consistent with existing data in the literature, the results did not show a significant link between adolescent attachment style and parental divorce. It is maintained that separation seems to influence mainly adolescent self-assessment, especially with respect to the social self, sexual self, familial self, and coping self.

Studied attachment patterns, adolescent self-image, and family representation in intact and separated families. Ss were 40 male and female adolescents (aged 14-18 yrs) and 66 parents in Italy. Adolescents were administered a semistructured interview, the Offer Self-Image Questionnaire, and a semantic differential task. Adults were administered the Adult Attachment Questionnaire and a semantic differential task. Consistent with existing data in the literature, the results did not show a significant link between adolescent attachment style and parental divorce. It is maintained that separation seems to influence mainly adolescent self-assessment, especially with respect to the social self, sexual self, familial self, and coping self. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)