Options
The importance of companionate grandparent on adult attachment: The moderating effect of grandparent attachment
Author(s)
Date Issued
2018
Publisher
Hong Kong: Hong Kong Shue Yan University
Description
46 pages
Type
Thesis
Programme
Master of Social Sciences in Psychology
Abstract
The purpose of the research project is to examine the importance of grandparenting to their
grandchildren during their infancy and early childhood, and the relationship between the
three attachments (Grandparent attachment GA, parental attachment PA (Father FA and
Mother MA) and adult attachment AA) in two period (grandchildren’s childhood T1 and
current state T2). We hypothesized that grandparent attachment in T1 have positive
correlation to both parental attachment in T1 and the grandchildren’s adult attachment when they become grown up (T2), moreover, grandparent attachment in T1 have moderating effect on parental attachment in T1 and adult attachment in T2. 125 participants were recruited by convenience sampling who had completed the online survey using standardized questionnaire for T1GA, T1FA, T1MA and T2AA separately. Only those who had been taken care by grandparents in childhood were selected (n=91), correlation test was showed that T1GA, T1FA, T1MA and the subscale of T2AA- depend are positively correlated. Furthermore, T1GA was found to be the moderator on T1FA and subscales of T2AA-close only when we filtered out very short grandparent take care time (n=65) using multiple regression. However, this speculated result was not support our hypothesis about the buffer effect of T1GA on T1PA and T2AA due the weak correlation between T1FA and T2AAclose. To conclude, grandparenting (especially companionate style) is important not only to enhance the psychological and emotional development of grandchildren, but also strengthen their resilience and copying ability to handle conflicts and challenge that may across their adulthood (T2AAdepend).
Availability at HKSYU Library
