ATTACHMENT STYLES AND EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE OF ADOLESCENTS
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Date
2006
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ACHARYA N.G. RANGA AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY, RAJENDRANAGAR, HYDERABAD
Abstract
Parent child relationship is recognized as a highly significant
determinant of child’s personality and performance. Secure relationship with
parents throughout childhood contributes to the development of positive
schemata regarding oneself that is self worth and self efficiency.
Bowlby (1980) believed that repeated experiences resulted in the
development of fairly accurate and stable cognitive representations, that guide
subsequent attachment related behavior. The development of the cognitive and
neural mechanisms underlying emotional intelligence is influenced by early
attachment relationships (Taylor et al., 1999).
The overall family furnishes the basic environment for building healthy
emotionality and personality of a child. The attachment style has been viewed
as reflecting strategies for regulating emotions. Specific emotion related
parental practices are associated with children’s expression of appropriate
emotion. Emotional intelligence is essential for the success of an individual. It
enhances personal effectiveness leading to healthier and stronger relationships.
So in the present study, an attempt was made to find out the perception of
adolescents about different attachment styles and their intelligence levels. It
also examined the relationship between the attachment styles and emotional
intelligence, as well as the demographic variables and the emotional
intelligence of adolescents of three different attachment styles.
The attachment scale developed by Hazen and Shaver (1987) was used
to elicit information regarding attachment style perceived by the adolescents.
Emotional Intelligence Inventory developed by Uma Devi (2003) was used to
find out the emotional intelligence of the adolescents. The sample comprised of
180 adolescents with equal number of boys and girls, age range of 16-18 years
studying intermediate from the twin cities: Hyderabad and Secunderabad. The
data collected were subjected to correlation co-efficients, analysis of variance
(‘f’ ratios), means and standard deviations. Part of the data were presented in
frequencies and percentages.
Majority of the adolescents perceived secure attachment style followed
by anxious ambivalent and avoidant attachment style. Adolescents of securely,
anxious-ambivalently and avoidantly attached fell under above average,
average and below average categories of emotional intelligence respectively.
Adolescents of secure attachment style had higher scores on all the 5 subscales
of emotional intelligence such as intrapersonal, interpersonal, adaptability,
stress management and general mood as well as the total emotional intelligence
subscales. The results indicated that most of the selected demographic variables
like parent related, family related and child related did not show any kind of
significant relationship with the skills of emotional intelligence.
Findings of the present study help us to understand the influence of
attachment styles on the emotional intelligence of adolescents. It can create
awareness among parents, educators and counselors and help them to have a
closer look at attachment styles and emotional intelligence and its role in
making an individual successful.
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Keywords
ATTACHMENT, STYLES, EMOTIONAL, INTELLIGENCE, ADOLESCENTS