Investigating the relationship between attachment style and personality traits with the resilience of pre-university students in Beshagard city in 2012

Master's thesis field: Psychology (M.A)

Trend: Educational

Abstract:

The present study was conducted with the aim of investigating the relationship between students' resilience and their different personality traits and attachment styles. The statistical population of this descriptive study included all pre-university students of Beshagard city. The sample size was calculated using stratified (purposive) random sampling method and Cochran's sample size formula, 210 people, and finally 202 people answered the questions. The participants answered the questions of Connor and Davidson's resilience, Collins' and Reed's attachment styles, and Neo's personality. Questionnaires were prepared without the need for people's names and ethical considerations were fully respected. Data after collection were analyzed using SPSS version 16 software and Pearson correlation and regression statistical tests. The analysis of the results showed that the personality trait of neuroticism had an inverse and significant relationship with resilience, and the personality trait of extroversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness had a positive and significant correlation with resilience at the P<0.01 level. Avoidant attachment style also had a positive and significant correlation with resilience in the subjects under investigation, P<0.05. Prediction of resilience based on personality traits showed that 36.2% of the variance of resilience variable is explained by personality traits of responsibility and extroversion. Also, attachment styles entered the regression equation. The regression model was significant. The results showed that the effect of avoidance style in predicting resilience is positive and significant. Finally, it can be concluded that resilience is related to types of personality and attachment styles.

Introduction

Mental health was and is the ultimate goal of psychologists. In the meantime, positive psychology has received the attention of psychologists with regard to human talents and capabilities. This approach sees its ultimate goal as identifying issues and methods that lead to human well-being and happiness. Therefore, the factors that make a person more compatible with the needs and threats of life are the most fundamental subject of this approach's research. In the meantime, resilience[1] has found a special place in the fields of developmental psychology, family psychology and mental health, so that the number of researches related to this topic is increasing every day (Kampel-Silis, Cohen and Stein[2], 2006). Until the early 80s, many psychological researchers believed that stressful events play an effective role in the occurrence of psychosomatic disorders, for example, Holmes and Rahe [3] found that life events are related to the onset of illness. At the same time, subsequent psychologists' investigations showed that between stressful events and psychological disorders, there are determining factors that cause these events to have different effects on people. One of these characteristics is resilience (Shakrinia and Mohammadpour, 2009). Also, according to the stress-vulnerability model, first, people must be biologically, psychologically, or socio-culturally prepared to contract the disease, and then be exposed to some kind of stress in order to contract the disease. While most people are ready to suffer from certain disorders, they do not develop a disorder by being exposed to stress. What protects people from succumbing to stress is resilience (McAllister & McKinnon[4], 2009). Over the past 20 years, the study of resilience has expanded significantly. Among the issues raised in the field of resilience is the role of personality traits in its level. According to Blocker and Zuckerman's (1997) differential choice-coping model, the coping strategies used in dealing with stress determine positive or negative outcomes, and the type of coping strategies chosen depends on the personality traits of people (Bartley, Rosh[5], 2011). That is, the quality of this personality model affects the processes related to stress through the impact on the amount of confrontation with stress, the impact of the type of reaction to it, or the impact in both fields (Landro and Castillo [6], 2010). In this context, it can be said that attachment styles, which in a way express people's parenting methods, are also involved in resilience. Therefore, the present study was conducted with the aim of investigating the relationship between students' resilience and their different personality traits and attachment styles. 1-1 Statement of the problem According to Latar [7] and Cichetti [8] (2000) and Mustan [9] (2001), resilience is one of the concepts and normal structures that are considered and studied in positive psychology.

1-1 statement of the problem

According to Latar [7] and Chichiti [8] (2000) and Mastan [9] (2001), resilience is one of the normal concepts and constructs of interest and study in positive psychology, and the majority of researches related to resilience have been conducted in the field of developmental psychology (Bashart et al., 2017). Resilience is the ability of people to effectively adapt to the environment, despite being exposed to dangerous factors. Risk factors are those negative conditions and situations that are associated with negative consequences and behavioral problems (Gomez and McLaren [10], 2006). According to Tait (2000, quoted by Nikozadeh Kordmirza, 2018), resilience focuses on groups of people who are exposed to risk factors, but have faced few negative consequences and may even get positive consequences. Also, vulnerability can be used for people who, despite not being exposed to risk factors, suffer negative consequences or are prevented from obtaining positive consequences. In this regard, it can be said that a person's resilience is under various factors, and one of the issues raised in the field of resilience is the role of personality traits. According to the differential choice-coping model of Blauger and Zuckerman [11] (1997, quoted by Shafizadeh, 2013), coping strategies used in dealing with tension determine negative or positive outcomes, and the type of coping strategies chosen depends on the personality traits of individuals. In fact, according to this model, personality affects stress-related processes through the impact on the amount of confrontation with stress, the impact on the type of reaction to it, or the impact in both fields. As a result, since the specific personality traits of people encourage the use of different coping strategies, people respond differently to stress (Landro and Castillo[12], 2010, Bartley[13] and Roush[14], 2011). But what is character? Personality and its characteristics are one of the main concepts in psychology (Namaki, 2016) and there is a difference of opinion among personality psychologists about how personality can be defined. Allport[15] says "personality is a dynamic organization within a person of those psycho-physical systems that determine his characteristic behavior and thinking" (Carver, 2017). Rogers also sees personality as a permanent organized self that is the center of all human experiences. Watson states that personality is an organized set of habits. Kelly calls the personality equivalent to each person's special method in searching for the meaning of life (Namaki, 2007). McCrae and John[16] (1992) described personality along five dimensions or five main factors including neuroticism, extraversion, experientiality, assimilation and conscientiousness. The difference in the definition of personality is the result of the difference in approach to human nature. Neuroticism refers to the tendency to experience anxiety, tension, narcissism, hostility, impulsivity, shyness, irrational thinking, depression, and low self-esteem (McCra and John, 1992; McCrae and Costa [17], 1987). Extraversion refers to the tendency to be positive, assertive, active, kind, and sociable (Watson and Clark [18], 1992). Experientiality is the tendency to be curious, artistic, intelligent, flexible, intellectual and innovative (John, 1989). Assimilation refers to the willingness to forgive, kindness, generosity, trust, empathy, obedience, sacrifice and loyalty. Conscientiousness is the tendency to organization, efficiency, trustworthiness, self-restraint, progressivism, rationalism, and reflection (McCra and John, 1992).

Furthermore, it can be stated that attachment, as one of the protective factors that provides more adaptability, is effective in resilience. According to Waters, attachment includes behaviors that cause closeness to the attachment figure. These behaviors include paying attention, touching, looking, being attached, and protesting rejection. Balbi also considers attachment to be a stable emotional bond, the characteristic of which is the tendency to seek and maintain closeness with a special person, especially in times of stress (Barjali, 2008). Individual differences in the internal active pattern lead to the formation of different attachment styles. An initial study on attachment styles was conducted by Ainsworth et al. (1978, quoted by Borjali 2018) and three patterns of secure attachment, insecure avoidant attachment and anxious-ambivalent insecure attachment were identified. People with different attachment styles use different strategies to regulate emotions and process emotional information. According to Erikson's theory, a child who is securely attached psychologically seeks independence and begins to distance himself from his parents; Experience the environment and seek new learning.