The Interplay Between Anxiety and Avoidance Dimensions of Attachment to Chinese Fathers in Internalizing Problem Behavior among Early Adolescents: An Intercultural Investigation

Abstract

Guided by the attachment theory, this study investigated the interplay between anxiety and avoidance dimensions of attachment to Chinese fathers in early adolescents’ internalizing problem behavior. This study further examined whether this association might exhibit an intercultural difference between the Han and Dong-Xiang ethnic groups. A total of 1019 adolescents between 10 and 15 years old (Mage = 12.66, SD = 1.51; 52.8% girls) participated in this study. Participants were uniformly instructed to complete a packet of well-established questionnaires written in simplified Chinese. Based on a hierarchical linear regression, interactive patterns of anxiety and avoidance exhibited an intercultural difference: adolescents with a fearful attachment style reported the highest levels of internalizing problem behavior among the Han, whereas adolescents with a preoccupied attachment style did so among the Dong-Xiang. Through these results, the current study highlights the vital role of attachment to fathers in early adolescents’ internalizing problem behavior and emphasizes the interactive patterns between anxiety and avoidance in interpreting the variance of internalizing problem behavior. Further, the results not only have important theoretical implications for the discussion of attachment as a universal or cultural phenomenon, but also highlight practical ways to mitigate early adolescents’ internalizing problem behavior.