Predicting social adjustment based on attachment styles and cognitive emotion regulation strategies in adolescents

Previous research has extensively identified factors related to social adjustment, but despite the significant importance of the role of early relationships, attachment styles, and their effects on future relationships, few studies have examined the relationship between attachment styles and social adjustment. Given the importance of adolescence and its major changes in social relationships, there is insufficient understanding of the role of cognitive emotion regulation in explaining social adjustment. It can also be said that the lack of adaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies is one of the main causes of maladjustment in adolescence.

This study aimed to predict social adjustment based on attachment styles and cognitive emotion regulation strategies.

The statistical population of the present study included all female students in high school, 337 female high school students were selected by the available sampling method. Participants were asked to complete the Bell Adjustment Scale (Bell, 1934), the Adult Attachment Scale (Hazen and Schiver, 1987), and the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Scale (Garnefski & Kraaij, 2006). Pearson correlation coefficient and simultaneous regression analysis were used to analyze the research data and all steps were performed using SPSS software version 21.

The results showed that by increasing the individual score in adaptive strategies for cognitive regulation of emotions, (p< 0/05, r= 0/60) and secure attachment style (p<0/05, r= 0/49) Social adjustment increases. On the other hand, the results showed that by reducing the individual's score in maladaptive strategies for cognitive regulation of emotions, (p<0/05, r= -0/54), Ambiguous attachment style (p< 0/05, r=- 0/31) and Avoidant attachment style (p< 0/05, r= -0/30) Social adjustment increases. Findings showed that the combination of research variables is significantly related to social adjustment and explained 54% of its variances.

Sensitivity and responsiveness in care and emotions play an essential role in social adjustment. The use of interventions based on the restorations of the attachment styles and teaching adaptive strategies for cognitive regulation of emotions is effective in promoting social adjustment