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ORCID
https://orcid.org/0009-0001-6520-224X
Date of Graduation
5-9-2024
Semester of Graduation
Spring
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Department of Graduate Psychology
Advisor(s)
David Szwedo
Claire Lyons
Robyn Kondrad
Abstract
Ego-resiliency is a multifaceted personality trait that is heavily associated with social competence and plays a key role in an individual’s ability to cope with stress and adapt to novel situations. Broadly speaking, ego-resiliency refers to an individual’s ability to modify one’s level of impulse inhibition in accordance with environmental demands. Three key antecedents of ego-resiliency have been identified: active engagement with the world, having a repertoire of problem-solving strategies, and the ability to quickly recover after experiencing stressful or unforeseen events. Attachment theory suggests that high-quality adolescent attachment relationships provide individuals with a “secure base” from which to explore the world. The present study proposed a reciprocal relationship between attachment quality and ego-resiliency, such that adolescent parental and peer attachment quality would predict emerging adult ego-resiliency, and emerging adult ego-resiliency would predict emerging adult parental and peer attachment quality. The study also examined the role of coping mechanisms as a potential mediator in the relationship between emerging adult ego-resiliency and emerging adult parental and peer attachment quality. A longitudinal design was utilized to examine how parental and peer attachment relationships differentially impact the development of ego-resiliency across adolescence. A series of hierarchical regression models revealed some support for the relationship between adolescent parental relationships and ego-resiliency. However, evidence was less compelling regarding the relationship between emerging adult ego-resiliency and emerging adult parental and peer attachment quality. Future research may wish to reexamine the role of peer relationships in the development of ego-resiliency utilizing different reporting measures and expand upon the observed differences in the affordances of maternal and paternal relationships. Ramifications for parenting and clinical practice are discussed.
Recommended Citation
Johnson, Christopher, "The reciprocal relationship between ego-resiliency and attachment quality: The mediating role of coping" (2024). Masters Theses, 2020-current. 270.
https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/masters202029/270
