Longitudinal Associations Between Adolescents’ Attachment Preferences for Parents and Peers and Their (Mal)Adjustment

Some adolescents prefer parents as their attachment figures, while others prefer peers, such as romantic partners and friends. However, how these attachment preferences influence (mal)adjustment is unclear. This study aimed to examine the longitudinal associations between adolescents’ preferences for attachment figures and their (mal)adjustment. We recruited 215 Czech adolescents (Mage = 14.02 in the 1st year, SD = 2.05, ranging between 11 and 18 years; girls = 54%) and utilized data from the adolescents’ reports of their attachment preferences in the 1st year of this project. In addition, adolescents, parents, and teachers reported adolescents’ (mal)adjustment over two years. The results showed that adolescents’ attachment preferences for mothers were longitudinally associated with lower parent-reported externalizing problems. On the other hand, attachment preferences for peers predicted lower teacher-reported internalizing problems. The findings suggest that attachment preferences for parents were linked to some more favorable adjustment outcomes, and that attachment preferences for peers may be more positively associated with adjustment when accompanied by attachment preferences for parents.