Abstract
This study was designed to explore the utility of attachment theory for explaining socio-emotional outcomes in adult daughters of alcoholic fathers (ADAF). It was hypothesized that ADAF would have more insecure attachment organizations than daughters of non-alcoholic parents (non-ADAF), and that ADAF would describe themselves as more disposed towards compulsive care-giving than non-ADAF. ADAF and a matched group of non-ADAF were compared on measures of attachment security and compulsive care-giving. From a larger sample of 251 female college students, 26 ADAF and a matched group of non-ADAF were identified to participate in the study. A large, urban university in the northeastern US. Participants completed the Adult Attachment Interview and a questionnaire assessing characteristics of compulsive care-giving. As predicted, ADAF had less secure attachment organizations then did non-ADAF. Although no group differences were observed for compulsive care-giving scores, compulsive care-giving was negatively correlated with attachment security for ADAF. Findings indicate that the concept of attachment may be useful for understanding the developmental consequences of parenting in alcoholic families.
Published Version
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