Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Influence of Parent and Peer Attachments on Life Satisfaction in Middle Childhood and Early Adolescence

  • Published:
Social Indicators Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Satisfaction in different life domains wasexamined with respect to parent and peerattachment relationships in middle childhoodand early adolescence. Three hundred threestudents, evenly distributed across sex andgrade (fourth, sixth, and eighth) wereadministered People in My Life, ameasure of attachment relationships, and theMultidimensional Students' LifeSatisfaction Scale. Children and earlyadolescents in this sample generally reportedhigh levels of life satisfaction. Some sex andgrade differences in satisfaction with variouslife domains emerged. Attachments to bothparents and peers predicted life satisfaction,although the influence of these relationshipsvaried as a function of grade level and lifedomain. Findings are reviewed in relation topast research, and implications forprofessional practice are discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

REFERENCES

  • Ainley, J., J. Foreman and M. Sheret: 1991, ‘High school factors that influence students to remain in school’, Journal of Educational Research 85, pp. 69-80.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ainsworth, M.D.S.: 1989, ‘Attachments beyond infancy’, American Psychologist 44, pp. 709-716.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ainsworth, M.D.S.: 1991, ‘Attachments and other affectional bonds across the life cycle’, in C.M. Parkes, J. Stevenson-Hinde and P. Marris (eds.), Attachment Across the Life Cycle (Tavistock/Routledge, New York), pp. 33-51.

    Google Scholar 

  • Allen, J.P. and D. Land: 1999, ‘Attachment in adolescence’, in J. Cassidy and P.R. Shaver (eds.), Handbook of Attachment: Theory, Research, and Clinical Applications (Guilford, New York), pp. 319-335.

    Google Scholar 

  • American Association of University Women: 1991, Shortchanging Girls, Shortchanging America: Executive Summary (American Association of University Women, Washington DC).

    Google Scholar 

  • Armsden, G.C. and M.T. Greenberg: 1987, ‘The inventory of parent and peer attachment: Individual differences and their relationships to psychological well-being in adolescence’, Journal of Youth and Adolescence 16, pp. 427-454.

    Google Scholar 

  • Arnett, J.J.: 1999, ‘Adolescent storm and stress, reconsidered’, American Psychologist 54, pp. 317-326.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bartholomew, K.: 1990, ‘Avoidance of intimacy: An attachment perspective’, Journal of Social and Personal Relationships 7, pp. 147-178.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bartholomew, K.: 1993, ‘From childhood to adult relationships: Attachment theory and Research’, in S. Duck (ed.), Learning About Relationships (Sage, Newbury Park, CA), pp. 30-62.

    Google Scholar 

  • Berndt, T.J.: 1989, ‘Obtaining support from friends during childhood and adolescence’, in D. Belle (ed.), Children's Social Networks and Social Support (John Wiley and Sons, New York), pp. 308-331.

    Google Scholar 

  • Berndt, T.J. and T.B. Perry: 1990, ‘Distinctive feature and effects of early adolescent Friendships’, in R. Montemayor, G.R. Adams and T.P. Gullotta (eds.), From Childhood to Adolescence: A Transitional Period? (Sage, Newbury Park, CA), pp. 269-287.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bowlby, J.: 1958, ‘The nature of the child's tie to his mother’, International Journal of Psychoanalysis 35, pp. 350-373.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bretherton, I.: 1985, ‘Attachment theory: Retrospect and prospect’, in I. Bretherton and E. Waters (eds.), Growing Points of Attachment Theory and Research, Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development 50, pp. 3-35.

  • Bretherton, I.: 1992, ‘The origins of attachment theory: John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth’, Developmental Psychology 28, pp. 759-775.

    Google Scholar 

  • Buhrmester, D.: 1990, ‘Intimacy of friendship, interpersonal competence, and adjustment during middle childhood and adolescence’, Child Development 61, pp. 1101-1111.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bukowski, W.M., B. Hoza and M. Boivin: 1993, ‘Popularity, friendship, and emotional adjustment during early adolescence’, in W. Damon (series ed.) and B. Laurson (vol. ed.), New Directions for Child Development: Vol. 60. Close Friendships in Adolescence (Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, CA), pp. 23-37.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cashwell, C.S. and N.A. Vacc: 1996, ‘Family functioning and risk behaviors: Influences on adolescent delinquency’, School Counselor 44, pp. 105-114.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clark, R.D. and G. Shields: 1997, ‘Family communication and delinquency’, Adolescence 32, pp. 81-92.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cook, E.T., M.T. Greenberg and C.A. Kusche: 1995, ‘People in My Life: Attachment relationships in middle childhood’, poster presented at the Society for Research in Child Development (Indianapolis, IN).

  • Cotterell, J.L.: 1992, ‘The relation of attachments and support to adolescent well-being and school adjustment’, Journal of Adolescent Research 7, pp. 28-42.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cowen, E.L. and W.C. Work: 1988, ‘Resilient children, psychological wellness, and primary Prevention’, American Journal of Community Psychology 16, pp. 591-607.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crowell, J.A., R.C. Fraley and P.R. Shaver: 1999, ‘Measurement of individual differences in adolescent and adult attachment’, in J. Cassidy and P.R. Shaver (eds.), Handbook of Attachment: Theory, Research, and Clinical applications (Guilford, New York), pp. 434-465.

    Google Scholar 

  • Diener, E.: 1994, ‘Assessing subjective well-being: Progress and opportunities’, Social Indicators Research 31, pp. 103-157.

    Google Scholar 

  • Doll, B. and M.A. Lyon: 1998, ‘Risk and resilience: Implications for the delivery of educational and mental health services in schools’, School Psychology Review 27, pp. 348-363.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eccles, J.S., C. Midgley, A. Wigfield, R.M. Buchanan, D. Reuman, C. Flanagan and D. MacIver: 1993, ‘Development during adolescence: The impact of stage-environment fit on young adolescents' experiences in schools and families’, American Psychologist 48, pp. 90-101.

    Google Scholar 

  • Elicker, J., M. Englund and L.A. Sroufe: 1992, ‘Predicting peer competence and peer relationships in childhood from early parent-child relationships’, in R.D. Parke and G.W. Ladd (eds.), Family-Peer Relationships: Modes of Linkage (Lawrence Erlbaum, Hillsdale, NJ), pp. 77-106.

    Google Scholar 

  • Furman, W.: 1989, ‘The development of children's social networks’, in D. Belle (ed.), Children's Social Networks and Social Support (John Wiley and Sons, New York), pp. 151-172.

    Google Scholar 

  • Furman, W.: 1993, ‘Theory is not a four-letter word: Needed directions in the study of adolescent friendships’, in B. Laursen (ed.), Close Friendships in Adolescence: New Directions for Child Development, 60 (Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, CA), pp. 89-103.

    Google Scholar 

  • Greenspoon, P.J. and D.H. Saklofske: 1997, ‘Validity and reliability of the multidimensional students' life satisfaction scale with Canadian children’, Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment 15, pp. 138-155.

    Google Scholar 

  • Halpern, D.F.: 1997, ‘Sex differences in intelligence: Implications for education’, American Psychologist 52, pp. 1091-1102.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hartup, W.W.: 1989, ‘Social relationships and their developmental significance’, American Psychologist 44, pp. 120-126.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hartup, W.W.: 1996, ‘The company they keep: Friendships and their developmental significance’, Child Development 67, pp. 1-13.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hazan, C. and P.R. Shaver: 1987, ‘Romantic love conceptualized as an attachment process’, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 52, pp. 511-524.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hazan, C. and P.R. Shaver: 1994, ‘Attachment as an organizational framework for research on close relationships’, Psychological Inquiry 5, pp. 1-22.

    Google Scholar 

  • Homel, R. and A. Burns: 1989, ‘Environmental quality and the wellbeing of children’, Social Indicators Research 21, pp. 133-158.

    Google Scholar 

  • Huebner, E.S.: 1991a, ‘Correlates of life satisfaction in children’, School Psychology Quarterly 6, pp. 103-111.

    Google Scholar 

  • Huebner, E.S.: 1991b, ‘Initial development of the Student's Life Satisfaction Scale’, School Psychology International 12, pp. 231-240.

    Google Scholar 

  • Huebner, E.S.: 1994, ‘Preliminary development and validation of a multidimensional life satisfaction scale for children’, Psychological Assessment 6, pp. 149-158.

    Google Scholar 

  • Huebner, E.S.: 1995, ‘The students' life satisfaction scale: An assessment of psychometric properties with black and white elementary school students’, Social Indicators Research 34, pp. 315-323.

    Google Scholar 

  • Huebner, E.S.: 1997, ‘Life satisfaction and happiness’, in G.G. Bear, K.M. Minke and A. Thomas (eds.), Children's Needs II: Development, Problems, and Alternatives (National Association of School Psychologists, Bethesda, MD), pp. 271-278.

    Google Scholar 

  • Huebner, E.S. and T. Dew: 1996, ‘The interrelationship of positive affect, negative affect, and life satisfaction in an adolescent sample’, Social Indicators Research 38, pp. 129-137.

    Google Scholar 

  • Huebner, E.S., W. Drane and R.F. Valois: 2000, ‘Levels and demographic correlates of adolescent life satisfaction reports’, School Psychology International 21, pp. 281-292.

    Google Scholar 

  • Huebner, E.S., J.E. Laughlin, C. Ash and R. Gilman: 1998, Further validation of the Multidimensional Students' Life Satisfaction Scale’, Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment 16, pp. 118-134.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaufman, P., S. Klein and M. Frase: 1999, Dropout Rates in the United States: 1997 (U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC).

    Google Scholar 

  • Lempers, J.D. and D.S. Clark-Lempers: 1992, ‘Young, middle, and late adolescents' comparisons of the functional importance of five significant relationships’, Journal of Youth and Adolescence 21, pp. 53-96.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mahoney, J.L. and H. Stattin: 2000, ‘Leisure activities and adolescent antisocial behavior: The role of structure and social context’, Journal of Adolescence 23, pp. 113-127.

    Google Scholar 

  • Man, P.: 1991, ‘The influence of peers and parents on youth life satisfaction in Hong Kong’, Social Indicators Research 24, pp. 347-365.

    Google Scholar 

  • McFadyen-Ketchum, S. A. and K.A. Dodge: 1998, ‘Problems in social relationships’, in E.J. Mash and R.A. Barkley (eds.), Treatment of Childhood Disorders: Second Edition (Guilford, New York), pp. 338-365.

    Google Scholar 

  • Montemayor, R. and D.J. Flannery: 1990, ‘Making the transition from childhood to early adolescence’, in R. Montemayor, G.R. Adams and T.P. Gullotta (eds.), From Childhood to Adolescence: A Transitional Period? (Sage, Newbury Park, CA), pp. 269-287.

    Google Scholar 

  • Newcomb, A.F. and C.L. Bagwell: 1995, ‘Children's friendship relations: A meta-analytic review’, Psychological Bulletin 117, pp. 306-347.

    Google Scholar 

  • Paikoff, R.L. and J. Brooks-Gunn: 1991, ‘Do parent-child relationships change during puberty?’, Psychological Bulletin 110, pp. 47-66.

    Google Scholar 

  • Paterson, J.E., J. Field and J. Pryor: 1994, ‘Adolescents' perceptions of their attachment relationships with their mothers, fathers, and friends’, Journal of Youth and Adolescence 23, pp. 579-600.

    Google Scholar 

  • Petito, F. and R.A. Cummins: 2000, ‘Quality of life in adolescence: The role of perceived control, parenting style, and social support’, Behaviour Change 17, pp. 196-207.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pollack, W.: 1998, Real Boys: Rescuing our Sons From the Myths of Boyhood (Henry Holt, New York).

    Google Scholar 

  • Rice, K.G.: 1990, ‘Attachment in adolescence: A narrative and meta-analytic review’, Journal of Youth and Adolescence 19, pp. 511-538.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosenfield, L.B., J.M. Richman and G.L. Bowen: 2000, ‘Social support networks and school outcomes: The centrality of the teacher’, Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal 17, pp. 205-226.

    Google Scholar 

  • Seligman, M.E.P.: 1999, ‘Teaching positive psychology’, APA Monitor, p. 42.

  • Sroufe, L.A.: 1989, ‘Pathways to adaptation and maladaptation: Psychopathology as developmental deviation’, in D. Cicchetti (ed.), The Emergence of a Discipline: Rochester Symposium on Developmental Psychopathology, Vol. 1 (Lawrence Erlbaum, Hillsdale, NJ), pp. 13-40.

    Google Scholar 

  • Steinberg, A.: 1993, Adolescents and Schools: Improving the Fit (Harvard University, Cambridge, MA).

    Google Scholar 

  • Terry, T. and E.S. Huebner: 1995, ‘The relationship between self-concept and life satisfaction in children’, Social Indicators Research 35, pp. 39-52.

    Google Scholar 

  • U.S. Department of Education: 1990, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988: First Followup Study, 1990 (U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC).

    Google Scholar 

  • Vazsonyi, A.T. and D.J. Flannery: 1997, ‘Early adolescent delinquent behaviors: Associations with family and school domains’, Journal of Early Adolescence 17, pp. 271-293.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vernon, A. and R.H Al-Mabuk: 1995, What Growing Up is All About: A Parent's Guide to Child and Adolescent Development (Research Press, Champaign, IL).

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilgenbusch, T. and K.W. Merrell: 1999, ‘Gender differences in self-concept among children and adolescents: A meta-analysis of multidimensional studies’, School Psychology Quarterly 14, pp. 101-120.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Educational and Counseling Psychology, ED 232, University at Albany – State University of New York, Albany, NY, 12222, USA

    Amanda B. Nickerson & Richard J. Nagle

Authors
  1. Amanda B. Nickerson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Richard J. Nagle
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Nickerson, A.B., Nagle, R.J. The Influence of Parent and Peer Attachments on Life Satisfaction in Middle Childhood and Early Adolescence. Social Indicators Research 66, 35–60 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:SOCI.0000007496.42095.2c

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:SOCI.0000007496.42095.2c

Search

Navigation