Relationship between attachment styles and social adjustment:the mediator role of emotional intelligence

Subject Areas : روان درمانگری

Mostafa Sabri ¹ , Fariba khoshbakht ² , Hamidreza Golzar ³

1 - MA in Educational Psychology
2 - PhD Shiraz University
3 - MA in Clinical Psychology

Received: 2015-05-19 Accepted : 2015-05-19 Published : 2014-12-22

Keywords: Emotional intelligence, attachment styles, social adjustment,

Abstract :

The aim of this study was to investigate the mediating role of emotional intelligence in relationship between attachment styles and social adjustment among first year university student. Two hundred and six university students were selected by random cluster sampling method. The participants completed the Adult Attachment Styles Questionnaire (Hazan & Shaver, 1987), the Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (Petrides & Furnham, 2001), and the Social Adjustment Inventory (Bell, 1968). The results indicated that insecure attachment styles (ambivalent and avoidant) predicted social adjustment negatively. It was also found that emotional intelligence mediated the relationship between insecure attachment styles and social adjustment. The findings suggest that by promoting emotional intelligence and informing the families of the negative effects of insecure attachment styles, the social adjustment may be reduced in students.