Thesis Title: Parentification, Attachment Styles and Interpersonal Competence in Adolescents
Student Name: Hina Zafar
Supervisors: Nosheen Rarnzan & Farah Malik, PhD
Degree: BS
Year: 2014-2018
Abstract
The present research was conducted to find the relationship between parentification, attachment styles and interpersonal competence in adolescents. It was hypothesized that there would be a positive relationship between parentification and attachment style, and negative relationship between parentification and interpersonal competence in adolescents. Moreover, it was hyothesized that parentification and attachment styles would be negative predictors of interpersonal competence. Gender differences in parentification, attachment styles and interpersonal competence were also expected. Data was collected from adolescence (N = 150) with age range of 14-18 years (M = 16.12, SD = 1.50) using convenient sampling technique. Parentification Questionnaire (Hooper, Scyatta & Wallace, 2007), Attachment Style Questionnaire (ASQ, Feeney, Noller, & Hanrahan, 1994)and Brief Form of the Interpersonal Competence Questionnaire (Coroiu, Meyer & Brahler, 2015) were administered in Urdu for data collection. The results of Pearson product moment correlation coefficient indicated that parentification was significantly and negatively related with confidence attachment style and interpersonal competence. Multiple hierarchical regression analysis revealed that confidence attachment style positively and discomfort attachment style negatively predicted interpersonal competence in adolescents. Results of t-test suggested that boys had more discomfort attachment style compared to girls. Whereas girls had preoccupation attachment style and had better interpersonal competence than boys. The findings have important implication for understanding positive and negative outcomes of parentification and attachment styles in individual’s interpersonal competence.
Keywords: Parentification, attachment styles, interpersonal competence.
