Attachment development in emerging adults\u27 romantic relationships and friendships

Psychologists suggest that development early in life is related to the behaviors and personality that each individual exhibits later in life. Research shows that development continues into adulthood and throughout an individual\u27s lifetime. In fact, human development is related to the environment around the individual as well as the individuals\u27 interactions with others, especially individuals\u27 primary caregivers (Bowlby 1988). These relationships can be seen in attachment. Attachment behavior is any form of behavior that one individual uses to maintain an attachment to another individual who is believed to be better able to cope with the world. This research project examines the associations among these early experiences in emerging adults\u27 lives in the context of their attachment styles, their attributions, and their current relationships with romantic partners and peers. One hundred thirteen undergraduate female students in Psychology courses at the University of Central Florida between the ages of 18- to 25-years completed a packet of questionnaires assessing these variables. All participants indicated that they were involved in a relationship at the time of the study. Results of this study indicate that emerging adults\u27 attachment to their parents, their perceptions of their parents, their attributions about their romantic partners, and their attachment to their partners and their peers are related significantly. These findings emphasize the importance of research investigating the relationships among attachment to parents and relationships during emerging adulthood