Date of Completion

2022

Thesis Type

College of Arts and Science Honors

Department

Psychological Science

First Advisor

Jamie Abaied

Keywords

Socialization of coping, parental coping, adult attachment, engagement coping, disengagement coping

Abstract

The types of coping suggestions parents give to their children have implications for their adjustment outcomes (e.g., Abaied & Rudolph, 2010a; 2010b; Peisch et al., 2020); however, little is known about why parents make some types of coping suggestions more than others. This project examined whether parents draw from their own coping behavior and attachment styles to inform their coping suggestions to their children. The sample consisted of 65 parent-child dyads recruited in Vermont. Parents reported on their attachment style, their coping techniques, and the types of coping suggestions they gave to their children. The results revealed that anxious attachment predicted more, and avoidant attachment predicted fewer, primary control engagement coping suggestions. Parent’s own coping strategies predicted the use of the same type of coping suggestion for both secondary control engagement and disengagement coping. In addition, secondary control engagement coping predicted more disengagement coping suggestions, and primary control engagement coping predicted fewer secondary control engagement coping suggestions. The results indicate that parents are drawing from their own experiences to inform their parenting. This provides evidence that improving child outcomes may be facilitated by assisting parents in achieving adaptive cognitive and behavioral habits and beliefs.

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