COPING STRATEGIES AND THE DIMENSIONS OF ATTACHMENT IN STUDENTS
Abstract
The paper focuses on the relationship between the dimensions of affective attachment and a three-dimensional model of coping strategies (problem-focused coping, emotion-focused coping and avoidance: distraction and social diversion). To analyze this problem, the Coping in Stressful Situations questionnaire (CISS, Endler & Parker, 1990) along with the Questionnaire for Attachment Assessment (UPIPAV -R, Hanak, 2004; Hanak 2011) was used on a sample of 152 students of the Faculty of Philosophy.
The results indicate the existence of significant correlations between coping strategies and the dimensions of attachment. Specifically, there is a negative correlation between problem-focused coping and unresolved family trauma, fear of using an outside secure base and a negative working model of self, while there is a positive correlation with the ability to mentalize. There is a positive correlation between emotion-focused coping and distraction strategies, and fear of using an outside secure base, a negative working model of self and negative working model of others, and poor anger management where there is a positive correlation between emotion-focused coping and unresolved family trauma. Finally, there is a negative correlation between social diversion and unresolved trauma, and a negative working model of self and a positive one between fear of using an outside secure base. The results of the regression analysis indicate that the aforementioned dimensions of affective attachment, as predictors explain 21,1% of the variance of problem-focused coping, 13,3% of the variance of the distraction strategy, 24,6% of the variance of the strategy of social diversion, and as much as 49,9% of the variance of emotion-focused coping.
Even though drawing any conclusions requires a greater sample, we could say that the participants are more prone to maladaptive coping if they display more pronounced dimensions of affective attachment typical of insecure patterns of attachment (a negative working model of self and a negative working model of others, unresolved family trauma, fear of using an outside secure base and poor anger management).
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.22190/TEME171107011S
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