Attachment and adjustment of pre-adoptive parents

Abstract

This paper presents the results of an exploratory study that examined attachment and couple adjustment in pre-adoptive parents. The objective of this research was to analyze the style of attachment, both generalized and specific, and the level of dyadic adjustment in couples judged capable of adoption and awaiting a baby. The research focused within the theoretical paradigm of attachment that connects these constructs to parental capabilities. The sample included 60 Italian individuals (30 couples). The research includes the Adult Attachment Interview and the Current Relationship Interview to evaluate feelings and behaviors connected with attachment in relationships and the Dyadic Adjustment Scale to measure the construct of couple adjustment. The results indicate the strong association between the generalized attachment quality and the specific one, confirming, in general terms, the prototype hypothesis (Bowlby, 1980, 1988). Nevertheless, the results also show little consistency in the relationship between style of attachment and dyadic adjustment.