Demographic Factors and Individuation in Relation to Parents Predicting Attachment Avoidance and Anxiety in Turkish Emerging Adults

Abstract

The first aim of the present study was to test the construct validity of the Turkish version of the Individuation Test for Emerging Adults – Short Form (ITEA-S) in relation to mother and father. Furthermore, we investigated the associations of gender, age, and perceived individuation in relation to mother and father with attachment dimensions in Turkish emerging adults’ romantic relationships. The data was gathered from two independent samples. The first group of participants completed the demographic information form and the ITEA-S, while the second group responded to demographic information form, ITEA-S, and the Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised (ECR-R). The results of the first part of the study showed that the Turkish version of the ITEA-S has satisfactory metric characteristics. The hierarchical regression analyses done in the second part of the study indicated that age, gender, and individuation dimensions are important predictors of romantic attachment dimensions. Younger Turkish emerging adults reported more attachment anxiety in their romantic relationships than older emerging adults, and the females reported more attachment avoidance in their romantic relationships than males. Connectedness with mother and self-reliance in relation to both parents were negatively associated with attachment avoidance. Higher perceived maternal intrusiveness, lower connectedness with father and higher fear of disappointing both parents were related to higher attachment anxiety in romantic relationships.