Analyzing Stability and Change in Dyadic Attachment: The Multi-Rater Latent State-Trait Model With Autoregressive Effects

Johannes Bohn,Esther Ulitzsch,Tobias Koch,Jana Holtmann,Michael Eid,Maike Luhmann

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.604526

Abstract

Previous research suggests that parental attachment is stable throughout emerging adulthood. However, the relationships between the mutual attachments in the dyads of emerging adults and their parents are still unclear. Our study examines the stability and change in dyadic attachment. We asked 574 emerging adults and 463 parents at four occasions over 1 year about their mutual attachments. We used a latent state-trait model with autoregressive effects to estimate the time consistency of the attachments. Attachment was very stable, and earlier measurement occasions could explain more than 60% of the reliable variance. Changes of attachment over time showed an accumulation of situational effects for emerging adults but not for their parents. We estimated the correlations of the mutual attachments over time using a novel multi-rater latent state-trait model with autoregressive effects. This model showed that the mutual attachments of parents and emerging adults were moderately to highly correlated. Our model allows to separate the stable attachment from the changing attachment. The correlations between the mutual attachments were higher for the stable elements of attachment than for the changing elements of attachment. Emerging adults and their parents share a stable mutual attachment, but they do not share the changes in their respective attachments.

Highlights

Many studies indicate that the quality of attachment to one’s parents is very stable over time (Fraley, 2002; Fraley et al, 2011; Jones et al, 2018)
The first research question on the stability and change of attachment can be answered with the LST-AR models
The LST-AR models were able to show the high degree of stability of the attachments between emerging adults and their parents

Summary

Introduction

Many studies indicate that the quality of attachment to one’s parents is very stable over time (Fraley, 2002; Fraley et al, 2011; Jones et al, 2018). Other studies are showing that the quality of attachment changes over the life course (e.g., Pinquart et al, 2013). In stressful life periods and in times of transition, attachment can change (Fraley, 2019). Due to these dynamics of attachment, the stability of attachment differs between different periods of life: While the stability of attachment is very high in childhood after the age of 6 years (Pinquart et al, 2013), it is only. The insecure pole of the attachment dimension can be further divided into more anxious insecurity and more avoidant insecurity (Mikulincer and Shaver, 2016)

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion