PARENTAL ATTACHMENT AND PERSONAL VALUES AMONG ADOLESCENTS

ABSTRACT

This study set out to parental attachment and personal values among adolescents in secondary schools in Wakiso district. The study specifically, sought to determine the most common forms of parental attachment amongst adolescents, investigate the most common personal values among adolescents, establish the relationship between parental attachment and personal values and examined how counseling strategies can improve on parental attachment and positive personal values in adolescents in secondary schools in Wakiso district. A descriptive cross sectional survey research design was used. In the study, both qualitative and quantitative techniques were employed in data collection process, analysis, presentation and discussion of findings. Data was collected from four secondary schools which were selected using stratified sampling. In these schools, semi structured questionnaires and interview guide were used for data collection.

The study concluded that,…………

The study recommended for………….

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.0       Introduction

This study investigated parental attachment and personal values among adolescents. This chapter presents the background to the study; statement of the problem, purpose, specific objectives, research questions, significance, justification, theoretical framework and conceptual framework.

1.1 Background to the Study

When children develop into adolescents, they progress to a stage of theoretical thinking. The adolescence stage involves the process of shaping one’s personal values; ‘a dynamic process of testing, selecting, and integrating self-images and personal ideologies into an integrated and consistent whole (Nakkula & Toshalis, 2006).  At this stage parental attachment becomes a key factor in their formation of personal values (Sorokou, 2005).  Values are assumed to provide individuals with a sense of continuity and consistency for example honesty, commitment, compassion, integrity, accountability, religious, and conflict resolution. Personal values have been traditionally viewed as the major developmental task of adolescence (Beyers, 2009). In this study, values refer to the general expression of what is most important of you. They are categories of preference for life. They are formed starting in early childhood and are later consciously re-evaluated and can therefore be changed.

According to Erickson (1968), one must undergo the process of internalization for identity formation to be successful thus correlated to personal values. This internalization entails adherence made to a unique and integrated set of commitments and choices reflecting who one is. The commitments made by an individual give direction to life and contribute to a sense of adjustment.

Adolescence is the most vulnerable and sensitive period for an individual to adopt a negative identity and dysfunction (Sandhu & Tung, 2004). Adolescents form the identity not by imitating others, as younger children; rather they modify and synthesize earlier identifications into a new psychological structure, greater than sum of its parts (Kroger, 2009).To form values, adolescents must ascertain and organize their abilities, needs, interests, and desires that can be expressed in a social context (Paplia, 2007).

In Uganda, Ainsworth conducted a study on attachment. It was during this study that Ainsworth started her empirical contributions to attachment theory and began to develop the now famous tripartite classification of avoidant, secure and ambivalent attachment relationships. The study among others revealed that it is not the number of care givers per se, but the continuity of the mother-infant interaction that is decisive for attachment security. Even in a child rearing environment in which mothers share their care giving responsibilities with others, infants become attached to the mothers and use a secure base for exploration (Rubin & Chang, 2006). There is need to find out whether the same is happening in Uganda especially to the adolescents of Kajjansi Secondary School hence need for a study.

Attachment styles are important to understand since their presence has an effect on the process and outcome of an individual’s exploratory interests. Attachment styles are receiving sufficient attention in Western societies (James, 2003). In Uganda, the scholastic work relating attachment styles and personal values is still inadequate (Mattanah, 2004). Therefore, it is necessary to conduct a study of this nature, since the variables concerned have been found to be critical for adjustment and development in the West. It is not clear whether the same will hold in Ugandan context. As regards this study, attachment is the affection bond that is relatively long-enduring tie in which the parent is important as a unique individual with the adolescent.

1.2 Problem Statement

The responsibility of parenting is to raise the children in socially accepted manners, but due to societal changes world over, many parents have invested more time in work at the expense of their children. This has caused most adolescents to seek autonomy and independence on their own thus leading many to turn to their peers for consultation (Nickerson & Nagle, 2005). It is not yet clear whether the difficulty of parents to be in touch with their children as expected, results into maladaptive behaviors such as aggression, drug abuse, and sexual pervasion, permissiveness, lack of altruism, compliance, lack of cooperation with instructions/demands, verbally inappropriate behaviors, laziness among others which are contrary to social values which raise high concern to the government UNICEF (2013). This study will endeavor to find out the relationship between parental attachment and personal values in adolescents.

1.3 Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between parental attachment and personal values among adolescents.

 1.4 Objectives of the Study

1. To determine the quality of parental attachment amongst adolescents in secondary schools in Wakiso district.
2. To investigate the most common personal values among adolescents in secondary schools in Wakiso district.
3. To establish the relationship between parental attachment and personal values among adolescents.
4. To examine how counseling strategies can promote parental attachment and positive personal values in adolescents in secondary schools in Wakiso district

1.5 Research Questions

1. What is the quality of parental attachment amongst adolescents in secondary schools in Wakiso district?
2. What are the most common personal values in adolescents in secondary schools in Wakiso district?
3. What is the relationship between parental attachment and personal values among adolescents?
4. How can counseling strategies promote parental attachment and positive personal values in adolescents?

1.6.0 Scope of the Study

1.6.1 Content Scope

The study was limited to the most common forms of parental attachment used by parents of adolescents, the most common personal values in adolescents, relationship between parental attachment and personal values, and how counseling strategies can enhance on parental attachment and positive personal values in adolescents.

1.6.2 Geographical Scope

The study will be conducted in four secondary schools in Wakiso District. This district is found in central Uganda (Buganda region). Wakiso district borders Kampala in the north, Mukono in the south, Mpigi in the west. The choice of this district is because a number of maladaptive cases are on the increase in Wakiso secondary schools just like elsewhere in the country and it would be representative of schools country wide (Rosenberg,2013).

1.6.3 Time Scope

This time scope as be between 2010-2016, and the research was be carried out between August 2016 – 2017.

1.7 Justification of the Study

A number of indiscipline cases   among adolescents have been linked to negative personal values, (Namaganda. et al., 2014). This has resulted into maladaptive behaviors in adolescents and all this is thought to have its roots with parental attachment. According to Berzonsky (2004), poor parental attachment causes intellectual, emotional, and psychological challenges and may cause lack of focus in adolescents who may end up becoming wasted in society. This might lead to a big loss to the country as her youngsters might end up becoming unproductive, juvenile delinquents and dependants.

 1.8 Significance of the Study

This study may add value to the existing body of knowledge in the fields of parental attachment, development of personal values, value crisis management and school counseling.  This study will be a foundation to many applicable suggestions that will make adolescent counseling more effective.  This study will give a better understanding of the adolescents’ most common personal values.   The study may help future researchers as a source of literature; serve as a source of reference as they would be handling issues that relate to parental attachment as well as adolescents’ value formation.

1.9        Conceptual Framework

This conceptual frame work depicted the relationship between parental attachment and personal values in adolescents. The independent variable includes   secure attachment, insecure avoidant, insecure/ resistant and disorganized/disoriented.  When there is a shift away from parents in early adolescence, feelings of self-reliance may be diminished, and may lead to the adolescent being unduly susceptible to peer-group pressure, especially in antisocial activity (Steinberg, & Silverberg, 1986).

The conceptual framework which illustrates the independent variable of parental attachment, it involves secure attachment, insecure avoidant, Insecure/ Resistant, Disorganized/Disoriented as forms parental attachment

This independent variable affects the dependant variable (personal values) of adolescents differently as illustrated in the conceptual framework;  if there is secure attachment then this would bring about honesty, affection, decision making, responsibility and accountability, positive self concept, personal development and loyalty in adolescents and when parents are not around insecure attachment ( the children develop their own values. There is little bond between the children and their parents). In this study, a parent is a caretaker/ care giver to an adolescent. He/ she may be biological or guardian and Parental attachment is the nurturing relationship between parents and their adolescents. Parents everywhere seek that emotional bond with their children.

The impact of moderating variables (Trust, Environment and Government policy) on this study will be controlled by focusing research instruments on the independent and dependent variable only. This is because the extraneous variable is not part of my study but the purpose is for me to be aware of them. The researcher intends to find out the relationship between parental attachment and personal values in adolescents.

1.9.1 Theoretical Perspective

The attachment theory will be used to guide this study. The theory was originally formulated by Bowlby and recently expanded by others. Three broad dimensions are assessed: degree of mutual trust; quality of communication; and extent of anger and alienation. Ainsworth’s work was important for at least three reasons. First, she provided one of the first empirical demonstrations of how attachment behavior is patterned in both safe and frightening contexts. Second, she provided the first empirical taxonomy of individual differences in infant attachment patterns. According to her research, at least three types of children exist: those who are secure in their relationship with their parents, those who are anxious-resistant, and those who are anxious-avoidant. Finally, she demonstrated that these individual differences were correlated with infant-parent interactions in the home during the first year of life.

Children who appear secure in the strange situation, for example, tend to have parents who are responsive to their needs. Children who appear insecure in the strange situation (i.e., anxious-resistant or avoidant) often have parents who are insensitive to their needs, or inconsistent or rejecting in the care they provide. In the years that have followed, a number of researchers have demonstrated links between early parental sensitivity and responsiveness and attachment security.

According to attachment theory, children differ in the kinds of strategies they use to regulate attachment-related anxiety. Following a separation and reunion, for example, some insecure children approach their parents, but with ambivalence and resistance, whereas others withdraw from their parents, apparently minimizing attachment-related feelings and behavior. One of the big questions in the study of infant attachment is whether children who withdraw from their parents–avoidant children–are truly less distressed or whether their defensive behavior is a cover-up for their true feelings of vulnerability. Research that has measured the intentional capacity of children, heart rate, or stress hormone levels suggests that avoidant children are distressed by the separation despite the fact that they come across in a cool, defensive manner. This could be the case with Ugandan adolescents particularly in Wakiso district.

Figure 2; Model of Attachment by Brennan (1940)

In the figure above, two qualities of parent attachment is reflected- secure and insecure attachment. With secure attachment there is low avoidance, security, low anxiety and dismissing avoidant characteristics while insecure attachment includes high anxiety, preoccupation, fearful avoidance and high avoidance.