Ethics code: IR.IAU.CTB.REC.1401.013
Mohseni M, Salehi S. The Mediating Role of Attachment Styles in the Relationship of Parent-child Relationship and Parenting Styles With Children’s Behavioral Problems After Divorce. Iranian Rehabilitation Journal 2024; 22 (2) :227-244
URL:
http://irj.uswr.ac.ir/article-1-1928-en.html
1- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Clinical Psychology, South Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
2- Department of Psychology and Counseling, Faculty of Clinical Psychology, South Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
Abstract: (2382 Views)
Objectives: After the divorce of their parents, children face various behavioral problems, and the attachment styles of the parents and their parenting styles will affect these problems. This research assesses the mediating role of attachment styles in the relationship between parent-child relationships and parenting styles with children’s behavioral problems after divorce.
Methods: The investigation was classified as a descriptive-correlation type. The population consisted of mothers of children aged 6 to 10 years who had undergone divorce proceedings at the Shahid Bahonar Judicial Institute’s Welfare Department in Tehran City, Iran, during the first half of 2022. A convenience sampling method was used to select 268 mothers based on a correlation plan. They completed the child behavior inventory (CBCL), parent-child relationships survey questionnaire (PCRS), parenting styles inventory (PSI), and revised attachment style survey (RAAS). The research hypotheses were tested using the smart partial least squares in structural equation modeling.
Results: The assessment of the research tools’ reliability was conducted via the Cronbach α method and the composite reliability coefficient, with all variables showing a coefficient of above 0.7, indicating acceptable reliability. The validity of the questionnaire was evaluated using the average variance extracted, which exceeded 0.4, indicating relatively acceptable validity. The assessment of the adequacy of the structural model involved analyzing important coefficients of Z, R2, and Q2, with the obtained results indicating an appropriate fit. The results displayed that the mediating role of anxious-ambivalent attachment style and avoidant attachment style is evident in the association between authoritarian and permissive parenting styles and the parent-child relationship, particularly concerning children’s behavioral problems (β=0.184, P<0.05; β=0.019, P<0.01). Secure attachment style serves as a mediating role (partial role) in the association between authoritarian, authoritative, and permissive parenting style and parent-child relationship with children’s behavioral problems (β=-0.364, P<0.05; β=-0.096, P<0.01; β=0.056, P<0.05).
Discussion: Avoidant and secure attachment styles can mitigate the impact of permissive and authoritarian parenting styles by mediating roles in the association between parent-child relationships and parenting styles with children’s behavioral problems after divorce. They also highlight the emphasis on maintaining positive parent-child relationships and implementing authoritative parenting styles to reduce children’s behavioral problems following. Further research is needed to address and assess concerns regarding children’s behavioral problems after divorce.
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● Children’s behavioral problems are negatively correlated with parent-child relationships, authoritative parenting style, and both avoidant and secure attachment styles.
● Children’s behavioral problems are strongly influenced by the permissive parenting style, authoritarian parenting style, and anxious-ambivalent attachment style.
● Anxious-ambivalent attachment style is negatively influenced by parent-child relationships and authoritarian parenting styles, while anxious-ambivalent attachment style is positively influenced by permissive and authoritarian parenting styles.
Plain Language Summary
When parents go through a divorce, it can disrupt the parent-child relationship and negatively affect behaviors in children. The study demonstrated that children who have undergone the process of divorce exhibit elevated levels of behavioral difficulties compared to children who come from families that have not experienced marital dissolution. Furthermore, the study highlighted the role of different parenting styles in influencing children’s behavioral problems after divorce. Authoritative parenting, characterized by warmth, support, and clear boundaries, was found to be associated with lower levels of behavioral problems in children. On the other hand, the presence of permissive and authoritarian parenting styles, characterized by a lack of discipline or excessive control, is associated with elevated levels of behavioral problems. The examination further scrutinized diverse attachment styles, which pertain to the emotional connection between parents and their offspring. Anxious-ambivalent attachment style, characterized by fear of abandonment and clinginess, was found; accordingly, children who have permissive or authoritarian parents may develop an anxious-ambivalent attachment style, which in turn increases their behavioral problems. Additionally, the study found that children who possess a secure attachment style, characterized by trust and confidence in their parents, were found to have lower levels of behavioral problems. Conversely, children exhibiting an avoidant attachment style, which is characterized by emotional detachment and a tendency to avoid intimacy, demonstrated a greater propensity for experiencing elevated levels of behavioral difficulties. Overall, the research emphasizes the significance of upholding favorable parent-child connections and using authoritative parenting styles to mitigate the negative effects of divorce on behavioral difficulties. It also emphasizes the role of attachment styles in mediating these effects and suggests that following a divorce, the psychological well-being of children can be positively influenced by the establishment of a secure attachment style.
Article type:
Original Research Articles |
Subject:
Psychology Received: 2023/03/16 | Accepted: 2024/01/13 | Published: 2024/06/1
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