The Analysis of the Relationships of Attachment to Mothers and Fathers and Achievement Goal Orientation and Life Satisfaction of Adolescents

Abstract

Attachment has been related to the many important variables including self-esteem, quality of relationship with others, well-being and depression. In recent years, a growing number of researchers turned their interest on the topic of relationship between attachment and academic variables, including achievement and motivation. Although, these studies created a rich knowledge base, scope of the majority of these studies was limited to topic of attachment to mothers, in spite of the growing awareness of the crucial role of fathers on the psychosocial development of the children. The purpose of this study is to investigate the differentiated relationship of adolescents’ goal orientations and life satisfaction with attachment to mothers and fathers. The sample of the study was 377 students attending to a state high school in Aegean region. In order to collect data, Inventory Parent and Peer Attachment (IPPA), Achievement Goal Orientation Scale and Life Satisfaction Scale were used. According to the results, attachment to mother had direct effect on performance avoidance goal orientation, life satisfaction and learning goal orientation. Besides, it had an indirect effect on life satisfaction through avoidance and learning goal orientations. Attachment to father had direct effect on learning goal orientation and life satisfaction and indirect effect on life satisfaction through learning goal orientation. The findings of this study highlight the importance of father’s role in addition to mothers’ in understanding students’ life satisfaction and motivation.