On the relationship between perceived childhood/adolescent attachments and identity status in 15-17 years adolescents

The aim of this research was to determine the relationship between perceived childhood attachment and adolescent attachment with identity status. This was a descriptive-analytic، cross sectional study. The sample was consisted of 106 females and 104 males’ high school students (15-17 years) in Torbat-e-Jam city، north east of Iran، which was selected through randomized and multistage sampling in 2008-2009. Attachment to parents measured by Attachment to Each Parents Scale and attachment in adolescents measured by Revised Adult Attachment Scale and identity status measured by Extended Objective Measure of Ego Identity Status-2 Version Scale (EOM-EIS-2). Data were analyzed through chi square and liner regression analysis. Findings show that secure، non secure-ambivalence and non secure-avoidance attachment styles had the most effect on the achieved identity، respectively. Non secure-avoidance، non secure-ambivalence and secure attachment styles had the most effect on the foreclosure identity، respectively too. Moreover non secure-ambivalence and avoidance attachment styles (positive relationship) and secure attachment style (negative relationship) had the most effect on the moratorium identity respectively and Non secure- avoidance and secure attachment styles (negative relationship) and ambivalence attachment style (positive relationship) had the most effect on the diffused identity respectively. Findings indicated that there are meaningful relationships between perceived childhood attachment style and identity status and between different attachment styles and identity status in high school students.