Peer and Instructor Relationships, Attachment, and Learning Improvement

• In Event: Poster Session 20
  In Poster Session: Division E Human Development Poster Session

Abstract

In a study of self-reports from 292 participants (52% male) at eight adult education centers, peer and instructor relationships, attachment, and curiosity were positively associated with perceived learning. After statistically controlling for age, sex, and income, the hierarchical regression analyses demonstrated that both peer and instructor relationships positively predicted secure attachment, which in turn predicted cognitive and sensory curiosity and subsequent learning among the participants. The conceptual model explained 51.1 percent of the variance in the learning variable. The results extend Bowlby’s (1969, 1973, 1988), Ainsworth’s (1989), and Mikulincer’s (1997) theoretical notions that secure attachment positively affects curiosity and ultimately learning. Educational professionals can use these results to inform instructional efforts to promote optimal learning.

Authors

• Thomas G. Reio, Florida International University

• Joanne Sanders-Reio, Florida International University