Romantic Attachment Style and Ego Identity, Attributional Style, and Family of Origin in First-Year College Students

This study examined the relationship between adult romantic attachment style and measures of cognitive attributional style, ego identity, attachment to primary caregiver, and family environment. Individuals having a secure attachment style were less likely to have a depressive attributional style and were more likely to have achieved ego identity status, to rate their primary caregivers as higher in independence-encouragement, and to rate their families as higher in expressiveness, cohesiveness, active-recreational orientation, and intellectual-cultural orientation than were individuals having a dismissive, fearful, or preoccupied attachment style. Fearful and preoccupied attachment styles were somewhat predictive of other measures of well-being, but dismissive scores were least related to other personality measures. Developmental research has consistently found that a secure infant attachment to primary caregiver has predicted inter- and intrapersonal competence and well-being later on (e.g., Arend, Gove, & Sroufe, 1978; Bretherton, 1985). Research over the past decade in social psychology has supported the proposition that Bowlby's (1982) ethological theory of mother-infant attachment may provide a basis for understanding the development of romantic relationships in adulthood as well (Brennan & Shaver, 1995). Bowlby's (1988) "working model" of attachment relations suggests that expectations developed in infancy through interactions with caregivers affect one's expectations about what social support can be expected from a romantic partner later on. Results of studies examining correlates of secure attachment in adulthood have generally been in the expected direction and parallel the infant findings that security in attachment is related to positive inter- and intrapersonal outcomes. For example, romantic love attachment style in young adulthood has been found to be related to such concurrent measures as the "Big Five" personality traits (Shaver & Brennen, 1992), self-concept (Griffin & Bartholomew, 1994), rejection sensitivity (Feldman & Downey, 1994), and alcohol use and eating disorders (Brennan & Shaver, 1995). Collins and Read (1990) reported that attachment scores on their 18-item scale were related to expressiveness, self-esteem, instrumentality, trust in others, and beliefs about human nature. Traditionally in developmental psychology, concurrent parental factors related to well-being in late adolescence and early adulthood have typically been deemphasized in favor of current peer relations. However, as Bartholomew and Horowitz (1991) point out, it is because individuals select and create later social environments that early parent-child relationships are viewed as having special importance. Selective affiliation in the form of the seeking or avoidance of social contacts and the selection of social partners who are likely to confirm internal models learned in early caregiver-infant relationships is expected to be central in maintaining adult patterns of attachment. Current relationships with parents are still shown to have some importance in specific areas as well. By continuing to provide a secure base of support, secure parental attachments are believed to foster self-confidence, active environmental exploration and mastery, and social and intellectual competence (Lopez et al., 1992). For example, Cutrona et al. (1994) found that parental social support--especially reassurance of worth--predicted college grade point average when academic aptitude, family achievement orientation, and family conflict were controlled. (This was not true for support from friends or romantic partners.) Romantic love attachment style has been found to be somewhat predictable from early parent-child attachment relationships as well (e.g., Carnelley & Janoff-Bulman, 1992). Collins and Read (1990) reported similarity between the attachment style of one's partner and caregiving style of one's parents. …