Bridging Adult Attachment with Belongingness: The Underlying Role of Psychological Defense
Faculty Mentor
Philip Wong
Major/Area of Research
Clinical Psychology
Description
Belongingness is critical to well-being, particularly for emerging adults. Previous findings suggest the construct is strongly associated with attachment style and likely associated with psychological defense. This study explores these relationships and whether usage of mature defense explains the relationship be- tween secure attachment and high belongingness. Utilizing a diverse sample of 164 undergraduate college students, attachment styles were measured using the Early Memory Attachment Q-Sort (EMAQ) and the Relationship Questionnaire (RQ), belongingness was assessed through the General Belongingness Scale (GBS), and psychological defense mechanisms were evaluated using the Defense Style Questionnaire (DSQ-40). The EMAQ assesses attachment through participants’ early memories, utilizing a scoring system based on the Adult Attachment Inventory (AAI). Results revealed a significant positive association between secure attachment and belongingness, supporting the notion that individuals with secure attachment experience higher levels of belongingness. However, there was no significant direct effect of attachment on psycho- logical defense or of psychological defense on belongingness. Furthermore, psychological defense did not mediate the relationship between attachment and belongingness. Consistent with prior literature, the observed and self- reported attachment measures were weakly correlated with one another, indicating that the measures capture different elements of the complex attachment construct. Despite its weak association with the EMAQ, the RQ yielded similar results in the overall model, suggesting that both conscious and unconscious aspects of attachment influence belongingness.
Bridging Adult Attachment with Belongingness: The Underlying Role of Psychological Defense
Belongingness is critical to well-being, particularly for emerging adults. Previous findings suggest the construct is strongly associated with attachment style and likely associated with psychological defense. This study explores these relationships and whether usage of mature defense explains the relationship be- tween secure attachment and high belongingness. Utilizing a diverse sample of 164 undergraduate college students, attachment styles were measured using the Early Memory Attachment Q-Sort (EMAQ) and the Relationship Questionnaire (RQ), belongingness was assessed through the General Belongingness Scale (GBS), and psychological defense mechanisms were evaluated using the Defense Style Questionnaire (DSQ-40). The EMAQ assesses attachment through participants’ early memories, utilizing a scoring system based on the Adult Attachment Inventory (AAI). Results revealed a significant positive association between secure attachment and belongingness, supporting the notion that individuals with secure attachment experience higher levels of belongingness. However, there was no significant direct effect of attachment on psycho- logical defense or of psychological defense on belongingness. Furthermore, psychological defense did not mediate the relationship between attachment and belongingness. Consistent with prior literature, the observed and self- reported attachment measures were weakly correlated with one another, indicating that the measures capture different elements of the complex attachment construct. Despite its weak association with the EMAQ, the RQ yielded similar results in the overall model, suggesting that both conscious and unconscious aspects of attachment influence belongingness.