Exploring the Links Between Parental Attachment Style, Child Temperament and Parent-Child Relationship Quality During Adolescence

Abstract

AbstractLinked with a myriad of developmental outcomes, the parent-child relationship serves an important function, and it is therefore important that determinants of this relationship are elucidated so that optimal outcomes can be promoted. This study investigated links between parental attachment style and child temperament in the prediction of parent-child relationship quality during early adolescence. One hundred parents of 12–15-year-olds completed an online survey. Findings indicated that when examining parent attachment style alone, attachment-related anxiety but not avoidance predicted parent-child relationship quality. When examining child temperament alone, negative affect and affiliation predicted parent-child relationship quality. When examining both parental attachment style and child temperament in the same model, child temperament was uniquely predictive of the parent-child relationship quality. No moderation effects were detected. More precise models and expanded measures of parental attachment style, child temperament and parent-child relationship quality are recommended to fully capture the transactional and dynamic nature of the parent-child relationship.