Parent-Adolescent Attachment as Perceived by Adolescents

Abstract

The study examined adolescents' perception of the quality of parental attachment. The study was undertaken in Jorhat District of Assam. As many as 420 adolescents, aged 14-16 years (210 girls & 210 boys) from 10 schools constituted the sample of the investigation. Adolescents' perception of the quality of parental attachment was assessed by using Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment inventory by Armsden and Greensberg (1987). The inventory measures three broad dimensions of parental attachment such as degree of mutual trust, quality of communication and extent of alienation, separately for mothers and fathers. The results of the study revealed that mutual trust and quality of communication with mothers were higher than the fathers. It was found that adolescents' perceived quality of attachment with their mothers was higher than attachment with fathers. The results further revealed significant gender differences with respect to maternal attachment with girls showing higher attachment with their parents than boys.