Parental Attachment and Peer Relations in Adolescence: A Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Using Bowlby's (1988) theory of attachment relations in this meta-analytic study, we examined prior studies that assessed both parental attachment and peer relations during adolescence. The collective sample size reflects 12,482 participants across 53 studies conducted since 1970. The overall effect size between parental attachment and adolescent peer relations variables was approximately ½ SD (d =. 54). Analysis of specific peer relations dimensions indicates that parental attachment was related to both social competence and best friend relationship quality. Despite variations in study characteristics, this overall effect size appears remarkably stable. Studies that have employed higher proportions of Whites and female participants, North American samples, and measures with high reliability have yielded relatively higher effect sizes than comparison studies. The findings provide partial support for Bowlby's (1988) contention that the emotion-based interactions with parent figures have repercussions in other relationships. The modest size, however, indicates that other factors besides attachment to parents play an important role in peer relations.