Adolescent Attachment and Self-Esteem: A Mixed-Methods Exploration of the Role of Supportive Youth-Adult Relationships

• In Event: 3-086 - You + Me = Us: Developmental processes in supportive youth-adult relationships

Integrative Statement

What characteristics of non-parental youth-adult relationships, and of adults themselves, attract youth and that youth find to be supportive? What role do youth’s personal attributes play? As one way to answer these questions, we utilized a multistep, mixed methods approach to explore the associations between adolescent attachment, supportive adult relationships, and youth self-esteem.
Working models of attachment can exert strong influences on adolescent self-esteem (Wilkinson, 2004). Yet, there is also a substantial body of research that has documented the importance of supportive relationships during adolescence, particularly for youth with negative attachment models and low levels of self-esteem (Sterrett et al., 2011). More research is needed to understand the important features and processes of these supportive relationships in youth’s lives.
This study began with a quantitative path analysis to explore the roles of attachment and perceived social support from non-parental adults in facilitating self-esteem during adolescence. These findings then framed a mixed method analysis of different types of support from non-parental adults as described by youth with different attachment models. Through this multi-step, mixed method process, this study makes a significant contribution to the literature by identifying specific relational processes that promote positive youth development including the formation and maintenance of supportive youth-adult relationships in youth’s lives
The data for this study come from a mixed methods study on youth-adult relationships (YAR Study). In Phase 1 of the YAR study, we recruited youth who varied in age from 11 to 18 years old (n=289; M=14 years) from schools, after-school programs, and community-based programs in a small city and surrounding, rural counties in the southeastern United States to participate in a survey. The quantitative portion of the current study was based on this cross-sectional survey sample. In Phase 2 of the YAR study, a subsample of 40 youth was purposefully selected from the survey sample to participate in in-depth interviews. The mixed methods portion of this study, based on the subsample of 40 youth, utilizes cross-sectional data from both the screening survey and the first interview time point.
In a quantitative path analysis, we found that perceived social support from non-parental adults partially mediated the relationship between adolescent attachment and self-esteem (Figure 1). In our follow-up mixed method analysis, we analyzed youth reflections of support experienced in relationships with significant non-parental adults (VIPs). As compared to youth with positive attachment models, youth with negative attachment models reported fewer instances of emotional support but more instances of validation support. Youth with negative attachment models described (1) the importance of trust and (2) receiving emotional support specific to their needs. In instances of validation support, these youth described how their VIPs (1) provided them with honest and realistic feedback, (2) challenged their negative thinking, and (3) created opportunities for them to recognize and showcase their strengths. Our findings underscore the importance of considering youth’s individual attributes in the context of their ongoing relationships in order to gain a more nuanced understanding of the role and dynamics of supportive non-parental youth-adult relationships in youth’s lives.

Author

• Mark Vincent B. Yu, University of California, Irvine
  Presenting Author