Psychosocial Adaptation as a Mediator of Associations Between Attachment to Parents and Social Acceptance During Late Childhood and Pre-adolescence
The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between perceptions of children in late childhood and pre-adolescent concerning the attachment security to their parents and social acceptance by the peers, by considering the psychosocial adjustment as possible mediator of this relationship. The survey involved 279 children, in fifth and sixth grade (11-12 years) from three elementary schools in Katerini, Central Macedonia, Greece. Our findings showed that children with a secure attachment to parents have fewer behavioral and emotional problems and higher levels of positive social behavior than children with insecure attachment. Furthermore, we found that a secure attachment relationship with parents can enhance children's positive acceptance by the group of their peers. Gender appeared to exert a significant effect on perceived levels of alienation from parents, on emotional disturbances and positive social behavior, while the age played the same role, only with positive social behavior. Finally, our results showed that insecure attachment is not directly linked to social rejection and isolation, but indirectly through the mediating role of the behavioural and emotional difficulties, which reflect an at risk psychosocial adaptation. The mediating role of psychosocial adaptation was supported only in the case of the problematic psychosocial adaptation, as the latter is more directly linked to anxious attachment.
Attachment, Strengths and Difficulties, Sociometric Status, Children’s Emotional Disorders
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