Abstract:
Attachment, either parental or peer, is an eternal affectional bond of substantial
intensity, and becomes of prime importance in the physical and psychological
development of adolescents. This study was aimed to investigate the relationship of
parental and peer attachment bonds with career decision making self efficacy
(CDMSE) and identity development (Id-Dev) among adolescents and post-
adolescents. The study was carried out in three phases: Phase-I constituted of
evaluation of the language used in the instruments, Phase-II was a pilot study in
which pre-testing of the scales was carried out to assess psychometric properties of
the scales used in the main study, and also to see applicability of the research design,
Phase-III covered the main study accomplishment. A criterion was formulated to
screen the desired sample and the participants in the age range of 17 to 25 years
belonging to middle socioeconomic class were included in the study. It was ensured
that only those participants were included whose both parents were alive and living
together. Care was also taken to include those participants who were day scholars
and not residing in hostel. Non-probability purposive sampling was used in the main
study of the research and total sample collected was 550 adolescents and post-
adolescents studying in different government colleges and universities of Rawalpindi
and Islamabad including both males (n = 300) and females (n = 250). All participants
were asked to complete a separate demographic sheet so as to have a clear picture of
their background. Scales used in study were Inventory of Parent and Peer
Attachment-R (IPPA-R), Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy Scale-Short Form
(CDMSE-SF), and the Extended Objective Measure of Ego Identity Status (EOM-EIS-2). Correlations, t-test, regression analysis was conducted for testing hypotheses.
Predictability of variables i.e. predicting level of CDMSE & Id-Dev in relation to
parental and peer attachment bonds was also assessed. Findings of the study revealed
that there was a positive relationship among the variables studied (i.e. CDMSE &
parental and peer attachment bonds & Id-Dev and parental as well as peer
attachment bonds). It highlighted that when more and more parental and peer
attachment bonds are there, more will be CDMSE that also influences a healthy Id-
Dev of the youngsters. The outcome of this result signify the contribution of both
parents well as peers attachment bonds in predicting CDMSE of adolescents and
post-adolescents, however parental attachment bonds are more powerful in prediction
of CDMSE as compared to peers attachment bonds. Results of present study denote,
both parents and peers attachment bonds play their role in prediction of Id-Dev
among adolescents & post-adolescents yet peer attachment bonds more powerfully
predict Id-Dev in comparison to parental attachment bonds. Findings of present
study suggested that females were relatively more involved in maintaining
interpersonal identity as compared to males. The results of the study suggest the
further need for clarifying how the parental and peer attachment works in different
family structures with variable socioeconomic background and covering different age
groups of the sample