Antioch University AURA - Antioch University Repository and Archive Student & Alumni Scholarship, including Dissertations & Theses Dissertations & Theses 2014 Father Attachment Predicts Adolescent Girls' Social and Emotional Development Reena Sandhu Antioch University - Seattle Follow this and additional works at:http://aura.antioch.edu/etds Part of theClinical Psychology Commons Recommended Citation Sandhu, Reena, "Father Attachment Predicts Adolescent Girls' Social and Emotional Development" (2014).Dissertations & Theses. 93. http://aura.antioch.edu/etds/93 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Student & Alumni Scholarship, including Dissertations & Theses at AURA - Antioch University Repository and Archive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations & Theses by an authorized administrator of AURA - Antioch University Repository and Archive. For more information, please [email protected], [email protected]. Father Attachment Predicts Adolescent Girls’ Social and Emotional Development A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of Antioch University Seattle Seattle, WA In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements of the Degree Doctor of Psychology By Reena Sandhu February 2014 Father Attachment Predicts adolescent Girls’ Social and Emotional Development This dissertation, by Reena Sandhu, has been approved by the committee members signed below who recommend that it be accepted by the faculty of the Antioch University Seattle at Seattle, WA in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PSYCHOLOGY Dissertation Committee: ____________________________ Mary Wieneke, Ph.D. Chairperson ________________________ Patricia Linn, Ph.D. ________________________ Lisa Ferrari, Psy.D. ________________________ February 15, 2014 ii Copyright by Reena Sandhu, 2014 All Rights Reserved iii Abstract Father Attachment Predicts Adolescent Girls’ Social and Emotional Development Reena Sandhu Antioch University Seattle Seattle, WA The principle focus of research on parental attachment and involvement has been about mothers and their young children, with the role of fathers relatively neglected. In addition, the study of father–child relational processes during the adolescent period has been meager, compared to mother–child influences during adolescence. The few studies on father–adolescent relationships rarely focused on the father–daughter attachment bond. This research study aimed primarily to consider the nature of father attachment on the social and emotional development of adolescent girls. The variables of interest were Father Attachment, Social Problems, Social Competence, and Internalizing Behavioral Problems, as perceived by adolescent girls. The archival survey data for this study were gathered from 246 adolescent females between the ages of 14 and 16 years old who participated in Ferrari’s 2008 study on “Attachment, personal resources and coping in trait-anxious adolescent girls.” Results supported the proposed hypotheses, revealing statistically significant correlations among perceived quality of Father Attachment, and adolescent girls’ Social Competence, Social Problems, and Internalizing Behavioral Problems. Together, Father Attachment, Social Competence and Social Problems accounted for over half of the variance (54.5%) of Internalizing Behavioral Problems. In addition, Father Attachment and Social Problems each uniquely predicted Internalizing Behavioral Problems in a standard multiple regression analysis. However, once Father iv Attachment and Social Problems were accounted for, the relationship between Social Competence and Internalizing Behavioral Problems was no longer significant. Incorporating these findings in prevention and treatment programs could prove to be crucial, particularly for programs aimed at promoting emotional well being among adolescent girls. The electronic version of this dissertation is at OhioLink ETD Center, www.ohiolink.edu/etd v Dedication With respect and high regard, I dedicate this work to my late grandfather who paved the road for higher education. To my Girn and Sandhu parents, for supporting my dreams and instilling in me the belief that anything is possible. And to my husband, Amit, for making everything possible. vi Acknowledgements It is with much gratitude that I would like to acknowledge those who have helped me throughout this process. Thank you to my dissertation chair, Dr. Mary Wieneke for believing in my ideas and providing me with nurturance to get through the hurdles. To committee member, Dr. Pat Linn, for challenging me to understand bivariate correlations and multiple regression analysis. With your encouragement and guidance, my quantitative statistic skills have made me a more knowledgeable Psychologist. I am especially appreciative of my external committee member, Dr. Lisa Ferrari who generously offered me her research data. Your support and encouragement were indispensable to the success of this project. Also, a heartfelt thank you to Dr. Susan Hunt for introducing me to Dr. Ferrari. As a team, you both have helped me reach my goal to become a Psychologist. I would also like to acknowledge quantitative statistician, Jenny Chuang. I am deeply grateful to you for your passion and patience of having this project succeed. I owe the success of my defense to the countless hours that you tutored me over Skype, while you were in Taipei. I am deeply grateful to my family for their love and support through this process. To my Girn parents for raising me to believe in myself and encouraging me to make it through 11 years of graduate level training in psychology. To my Sandhu parents for understanding the importance of education and providing me with the space and support to reach my dreams. To Arvin, Kelly, Prit, Aria, Amaya, and Pavel thank you for always reminding me to laugh and teaching me how to relax during the stressful times. vii With greatest thanks to my loving husband, Amit for being my rock and stability throughout this process. From helping me with my application into the doctoral program to supporting me at my defense, your faith and belief in me was apparent every step of way. Thank you for being my biggest fan. viii Table of Contents Page Dedication……………………………………………………………………………...vii Acknowledgements……………………………………………………………………viii List of Tables ................................................................................................................. xiii List of Figures ............................................................................................................... xiiii Chapter I: Introduction ...................................................................................................... 1 Research Questions .................................................................................................. 4 Hypothesis ............................................................................................................... 5 Operational Definitions............................................................................................ 5 Chapter II: Literature Review ........................................................................................... 9 The Attachment System ........................................................................................... 9 The Quality of Father Attachment on Children’s Social Development ................. 13 Parental and Peer Attachment During Adolescence .............................................. 22 Adolescent-Female Peer Attachment and Social Stress ........................................ 30 Adolescent Female Peer Attachment and Internalizing Behavioral Problems ...... 36 The Influence of Father Attachment on Adolescent Girls’ Internalizing Behavioral Problems ................................................................................................................ 46 Summary ................................................................................................................ 52 Clinical Relevance of the Current Study ............................................................... 53 Chapter III: Methods ....................................................................................................... 57 Description of Instruments..................................................................................... 57 Justification for the Use of the Measures............................................................... 59 Participants From Archived Data .......................................................................... 62 ix