Separation anxiety and adjustment to college: an attachment-theoretical perspective

Lease, Cynthia A.

Separation anxiety and adjustment to college: an attachment-theoretical perspective

dc.contributor.author	Lease, Cynthia A.	en
dc.contributor.committeechair	Ollendick, Thomas H.	en
dc.contributor.committeemember	Cooper, Robin P.	en
dc.contributor.committeemember	Clum, George A.	en
dc.contributor.committeemember	Finney, Jack W.	en
dc.contributor.committeemember	Lickliter, Robert E.	en
dc.contributor.department	Psychology	en
dc.date.accessioned	2014-03-14T21:13:36Z	en
dc.date.adate	2008-06-06	en
dc.date.available	2014-03-14T21:13:36Z	en
dc.date.issued	1994-11-15	en
dc.date.rdate	2008-06-06	en
dc.date.sdate	2008-06-06	en
dc.description.abstract	The relationships between working models of attachment and adjustment to college among first-year college students was examined in a longitudinal study. The results of this study indicated that when college students were classified as secure, dismissing, or preoccupied by the Adult Attachment Interview, significant differences emerged in their experience of separation anxiety, self-perceived competence, perceptions of relationships, and attachment-related behaviors. Over half of the secure group reported clinical levels of separation anxiety at the beginning of the academic year, however, they showed a significant decline in symptomatolgy over time indicating adaptive resolution of the distress associated with the developmental task of emancipating from home. All but one member of the preoccupied group had clinical levels of separation anxiety at the beginning of the year, and although they reported some decline in symptomatology over time l decrease in the number of symptoms did not reach statistical significance. The preoccupied group reported having the most people upon whom they could rely for support, and they went home more often than the other two groups. However, they were the least satisfied with the support they received. As predicted, separation anxiety was not prevalent in the dismissing group at any point in time. This group also reported the least number of people upon whom they could rely for support, but they perceived themselves as more socially competent than the secure or preoccupied groups. Finally, the dismissing group showed a significant increase in utilization of university health services across time. These findings lend support to the idea that working models of attachment are associated with differing approaches to affect regulation in situational and developmental contexts that elicit distress. Overall, the results of the present study provide evidence that attachment is associated with social-emotional adjustment during the course of the adolescent's emancipation from home and entry into college.	en
dc.description.degree	Ph. D.	en
dc.format.extent	vii, 187 leaves	en
dc.format.medium	BTD	en
dc.format.mimetype	application/pdf	en
dc.identifier.other	etd-06062008-164042	en
dc.identifier.sourceurl	http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-06062008-164042/	en
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10919/38259	en
dc.language.iso	en	en
dc.publisher	Virginia Tech	en
dc.relation.haspart	LD5655.V856_1994.L436.pdf	en
dc.relation.isformatof	OCLC# 32749633	en
dc.rights	In Copyright	en
dc.rights.uri	http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/	en
dc.subject.lcc	LD5655.V856 1994.L436	en
dc.subject.lcsh	Adjustment (Psychology) in adolescence	en
dc.subject.lcsh	College freshmen -- Attitudes	en
dc.subject.lcsh	Separation anxiety	en
dc.title	Separation anxiety and adjustment to college: an attachment-theoretical perspective	en
dc.type	Dissertation	en
dc.type.dcmitype	Text	en
thesis.degree.discipline	Psychology	en
thesis.degree.grantor	Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University	en
thesis.degree.level	doctoral	en
thesis.degree.name	Ph. D.	en

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