The Self-Report Assessment of Adolescent Attachment: A Systematic Review and Critique

Abstract

The assessment of attachment beyond infancy remains a controversial issue. Over the past 20 years adolescent attachment has been assessed in a variety of ways but no ‘gold standard’ for its measurement has emerged. Considering the complexity of attachment theory and the implications for measuring such relationships during adolescence, this article undertakes a review of self-report attachment measures utilised for this age group. Results of a comprehensive PsycInfo literature search are examined with regard to studies reporting the measurement of adolescent attachment. A total of 822 citations were retrieved for the years 1990 to 2012; 394 of these abstracts were further scrutinised for use in the current review. Descriptive data from citations are reported for the measure of attachment used, sample size, age range, and psychometric properties. Following this, the most commonly used self-report measures of attachment for adolescents are reviewed in detail. Theoretical and methodological concerns regarding the measurement of adolescent attachment are discussed and recommendations made regarding key issues to consider for the development of new instruments grounded in contemporary theory and evidence.

The Indirect Effect of the Mindful Parenting of Mothers and Fathers on the Child’s Perceived Well-Being Through the Child’s Attachment to Parents

“…The parents scale is composed of 21 items answered on a 4-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (almost never or never true) to 4 (always or almost always true), with higher scores indicating more positive representations of the parents as secure attachment figures. The PIML questionnaire was developed through the adaptation of the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment (IPPA), which is the most widely used self-report questionnaire to measure attachment representations in adolescence (Armsden and Greenberg, 1987;Wilson & Wilkinson, 2012). The original version of the PIML has shown adequate reliability, with a Cronbach's alpha value for the total score above .70, and adequate construct validity.…”

Stressful life events and adolescent well‐being: The role of parent and peer relationships

“…The trust and alienation subscales of Armsden and Greenberg's (1987) Inventory for Parent and Peer Attachment (IPPA) was used to measure two dimensions of adolescent's relationship with their peers: trust (e.g., My friends listen to what I have to say) and alienation (e.g., I feel angry with my friends). The IPPA is commonly used in previous research as an effective measure of attachment (e.g., Wilson & Wilkinson, 2012); however, it has also been described as an accurate measure of relationship quality (Gorrese & Ruggieri, 2012). Therefore, it is used as a measure of relationship quality within the current study.…”

Attachment Strength and Relationship Expectancies in the Prediction of Adolescent Stress and Depression

“…The focus with respect to adolescents has been on the quality of specific attachment relationships and their impact on adolescent psychological functioning rather than the assessment of attachment styles. The Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment (IPPA; Armsden & Greenberg, 1987), for example, is by far the most commonly employed self-report measure of adolescent attachment (Wilson & Wilkinson, 2012). Using the IPPA, a substantial body of research has linked attachment quality and adolescent wellbeing, and there is a consensus that the quality of both parent and peer relationships affect adolescent adjustment (Laible, Carlo, & Raefelli, 2000;Wilkinson, 2004).…”