Date of Award
Spring 5-2021
Document Type
Dissertation
First Advisor
Randy Busse
Second Advisor
Dawn Hunter
Third Advisor
Penny S. Bryan
Abstract
Resilience is a concept that has captured more scholarly attention under the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which challenges the resilience of individuals and countries against unforeseen global catastrophes. More literature documented resilience to various negative situations such as COVID-19 pandemic, earthquakes, maltreatment, and severe illness. Less attention was accorded to resilience to everyday stressors. However, normative daily stresses should be managed timely and properly so that resilience is in place when needed.
Within the framework of attachment theory and resilience theory, this study aimed to investigate the impact of adolescents’ perceptions of attachments to parents and peers on their resilience to everyday stressful experiences. Through a cross-sectional quantitative approach, the present study examined a Chinese adolescent sample (N = 2,378; ages 10-19) from elementary, junior high, and high school students in Chinese urban and rural areas. The correlation analysis revealed significant associations between parent attachment and resilience and between peer attachment and resilience. The hierarchical linear regression analysis showed maternal, paternal, and peer attachment were robust predictors of adolescent resilience, with peer attachment presenting the highest predictive strength among the three. The results of independent sample t-tests and MANOVA analyses revealed different levels of gender and age differences between adolescents’ attachment and resilience.
Despite some limitations, this study contributes to literature by providing a large sample size (N = 2,378), integrating attachment and resilience theory, and empirically evidencing resilience as an ordinary construct reflected in everyday experiences. Moreover, empirical data were not only reported on the results of three subscales of mother, father and peer, but also provided on three specific dimensions (trust, communication and alienation). The results from this sample have implications for parents and adolescents, schools and teachers, and policy, practice, and research.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Xing J. (2021). An examination of Chinese adolescents’ resilience and their perceptions of parental and peer attachment [Doctoral dissertation, Chapman University]. Chapman University Digital Commons. https://doi.org/10.36837/chapman.000234