The Effect of Group Psychotherapy with Transactional Analysis Approach on Attachment Styles of Adolescent Boys

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of group psychotherapy using the Transactional Analysis approach on the attachment styles of adolescent boys. The design was semi-experimental with a pre-test and a post-test with a control group. The statistical population was male secondary school students in Mashhad. The sample consisted of 30 volunteers who were randomly divided into two groups, one experimental and one control, with 15 volunteers for each of them. Both groups completed the Revised Adult Attachment Scale (RAAS). The experimental group participated in nine 90-minute sessions of transactional analysis group psychotherapy. Multivariate covariance analysis showed that group psychotherapy using a transactional analysis approach had a significant effect on secure attachment (partial Eta2=0.70) and avoidant attachment (partial Eta2=0.50). However, there was no significant difference between the two groups for ambivalent attachment (P<0.05). It appears that group psychotherapy using a transactional analysis approach is effective on the attachment styles of adolescent boys, increasing their secure attachment and decreasing their avoidant attachment.