Experiences of parental rearing and patterns of attachment in adulthood

Three hundred and sixty-one non-clinical subjects were investigated for associations between experiences of parental rearing, and various measures of attachment in adulthood. Experiences of parental rearing were assessed by the EMBU (a Swedish acronym for ‘Own memories of parental rearing’). The AAS (Adult Attachment Scale), the ASQ (Attachment Styles Questionnaire), and the RAQ (Reciprocal Attachment Questionnaire) were used to assess patterns of attachment in adulthood. The rationale for choosing different attachment instruments was to have measures which take into account different kinds of relationships. Three main predictions were: (1) there will be a significant positive relationship between the experience of emotional warmth and indicators of secure attachment; (2) there will be a significant negative relationship between experiences of dysfunctional parenting and measures of insecure attachment, and (3) findings will be consistent across all three attachment measures, independently of the kind of relationship taken into account. All three predictions were supported. The results are congruent with what would be expected within the framework of attachment theory. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.