Separation‐Individuation, Adult Attachment Style, and College Adjustment

Abstract

The authors examined the relationship between separation‐individuation, adult attachment styles, and college adjustment. One hundred fifty‐six young adults completed the Psychological Separation Inventory (J. A. Hoffman, 1984; J. A. Hoffman & B. Weiss, 1987), 2 subscales from the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire (R. W. Baker & B. Siryk, 1989), a measure of pathology of separation‐individuation (R. M. Christenson & W. P. Wilson, 1985), and assessments of adult attachment style (K. Bartholomew & L. Horowitz, 1991). College adjustment was positively associated with secure adult attachment and counterindicated by fearful and preoccupied attachments. Implications for counseling practice and directions for future research are discussed.