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ORCID
https://orcid.org/0009-0001-6520-224X
Date of Graduation
5-9-2024
Semester of Graduation
Spring
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Department of Graduate Psychology
Second Advisor
Claire Lyons
Third Advisor
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.
