Abstract
Romantic development is a distinctive characteristic of puberty. However, a significant proportion of adolescents present with avoidant romantic attachment (ARA) tendencies, which have significant impact on their general adaptation. ARA variations have been suggested in relation to age, gender, engagement with a romantic partner and Excessive Internet Use (EIU) behaviours. In this longitudinal, two-wave study of a normative sample of 515 Greek adolescents at 16 and 18 years, ARA was assessed with the relevant subscale of the Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised and EIU with the Internet Addiction Test. A three-level hierarchical linear model found ARA tendencies to decrease between 16 and 18 while engagement in a romantic relationship and EIU were associated with lower and higher ARA tendencies respectively. Gender did not differentiate ARA severity either at the age of 16 or its changes over time. Results highlight the need of adopting a longitudinal-contextualized approach and provide implications for prevention and intervention initiatives in relation to the romantic development of adolescents.
Highlights
Engagement in romantic relationships during adolescence is important for individual development and well-being
In the present study an integrative, multilevel approach that combined the attachment literature and the risk and resilience framework was adopted to examine the longitudinal variations in avoidant romantic attachment (ARA) severity in a normative sample of Greek adolescents assessed longitudinally at 16 and 18 years of age
The aim was to examine age-related change in ARA behaviours between 16 and 18 years taking into consideration the effects of individual level risks and resources, while controlling for other clustering effects
Summary
Engagement in romantic relationships during adolescence is important for individual development and well-being. It has been positively associated with the formation of personal identity, adaptability to change, self-esteem, social competence, and even scholastic achievement and career planning [1,2]. Avoidant romantic attachment in adolescence general and during adolescence in particular [4]. These important developmental aspects are inevitably affected by the expansion of Internet access among modern adolescents. Adolescents appear to prefer cyber-relationship applications [5], such as online chatrooms and social networking sites, which may often accommodate online romantic interactions
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