Review of Articles

QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
Parent-Child Relationships and
Enmity with Peers : The Role of
Avoidant and Preoccupied Attachment
Noel A. Card, Ernest V.E. Hodges

ASPECTS
TITLE

QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
Attachment and Autonomy as
Predictors of the Development of
Social Skills and Delinquency During
Midadolescence
Joseph P. Allen, Penny Marsh,
Christy McFarland, Kathleen B.
McElhaney, Deborah J.Land,
Kathleen M.Jodl, Sheryl Peck
Several aspects of parents and their STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM John
Bowlbys
(1969/1982)
behavior may have an impact on
attachment theory has led to great
childrens relations with peers.
strides
in
understanding
the
Putallaz and Heflin (1990) outlined
development of social behavior and
the roles of parents psychological
psychopathology in infancy and early
health, interpersonal functioning,
childhood, but the theory is only just
warmth, control, and disciplinary
beginning to be applied to
practices in predicting childrens
adolescence. A broad array of
rejection by peers. According to these
findings including demonstrated
authors, characteristics of the parents
continuities
in
attachment
(aggressiveness, altruism, parental
organization across the lifespan and
communication), parenting behaviors
across generations (Benoit & Parker,
(sensitivity, warmth, supportiveness,
1994; Hamilton, 2000; M. J. Ward &
accessibility),
and
disciplinary
Carlson, 1995; Waters, Merrick,
techniques (power assertion, love
Treboux, Crowell, & Albersheim,
withdrawal, induction) influence
2000), long-term predictions from
childrens social behavior with peers
attachment organization to later
through processes of modeling,
psychosocial functioning (L. A.
reinforcement,
and
response
Sroufe, 1983; Urban, Carlson,
evocation. These social behaviors in
Egeland, & Sroufe, 1991), and the
turn are related to childrens
possibility of altering attachment
acceptance and rejection by their
organization with intervention (van
peer group (Coie, Dodge, and
den Boom, 1994) suggest that
Kupersmidt,
1990;
Newcomb,
attachment theory may potentially
Bukowski, and Pattee, 1993),
shed valuable light on adolescent
suggesting that parents may influence
social development and deviant
their childrens peer relations through
behavior. This study examined two
processes mediated by the childs
distinct
roles
of
attachment
social behavior.
organization in relation to developing
social skills and delinquency during
midadolescence: first, the role of
direct predictor of changing levels of
social skills and delinquent behavior,
and second, the role of moderator of
the link between the normative
development of adolescent autonomy
and adolescent skill development and

Does behaviour associated with

relationship stances between parent
and child account for enmity among
children?
Questionnaire
Inventory
Population : 242 children
Sample
: 194 children
Gender
: 95 boys, 99 girl
Mean age : 12.2 years old
Group
: 4th - 8th graders of a
university school
Ethnic
: Predominant whites
Socioeconomic : Middle-class

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

METHODOLOGY
SAMPLING

Attachment Stance Questionnaire

Peer Nomination Inventory
Sociometric Instrument

DATA TOOLS

Reliability
Internal consistency
As reported in Hodges, Finnegan,
and Perry (1999), these scales were
internally consistent and exhibited
both convergent and external
validity.

RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY

Validity
External validity
As reported in Hodges, Finnegan,
and Perry (1999), these scales were
internally consistent and exhibited
both convergent and external
validity.
Construct validity
Measurements are made on variables
tested which are enmity and parentchild attachment
Content validity
Types of enmity are also measured
Face validity
The desired content are measured that
comprises of enmity and attachment.

deviance.
How will the interaction between
adolescence preoccupation within the
family and displays of autonomy in
observed adolescence-mother
interactions predict relative changes in
adolescence social skill levels?
Structured Interviews
Discussions
Sample : 125 children, 117 mothers
Gender : 63 boys, 62 girls
Mean age : 15.9 years old
Group : 9th and 10th graders
Geographic : Rural, suburban,
moderately urban
Ethnic : European American,
African American, Others
Family Mean Income : $25 000
Adult Attachment Interview (AAI)
and Q set
Autonomy and Relatedness Coding
System
Transcripts
Videotapes
Reliability
Inter-rater reliability
These Q sorts were then compared
with three dimensional prototype
sorts developed by a panel of
attachment experts (Kobak et al.,
1993)
Test-retest reliability
This same procedure was followed at
the second wave of data collection,
which took place 2 years after the first
wave.
Validity
Internal validity
This same procedure was followed at
the second wave of data collection,
which took place 2 years after the first
wave.
Regular development is used to
explain the results.
10% of the change in social skill
levels and delinquent activity over a
2-year period.

Construct validity
The variables are measured in detail.
Face validity
Each item measured is measuring the
desired content.