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 Table of Contents  
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Year : 2017  |  Volume : 3  |  Issue : 4  |  Page : 250-254

The relationship between attachment styles, self-regulation, and academic achievement in students


Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Science, Razi University, Iran

Date of Web Publication9-Feb-2018

Correspondence Address:
Dr. Kamran Yazdanbakhsh
Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Science, Razi University, Kermanshah
Iran
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Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None


DOI: 10.4103/jepr.jepr_63_16

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  Abstract 


AIM: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between attachment styles, self-regulation, and academic achievement in students.
METHODS: This was applied research in terms of purpose and descriptive-correlational research.The research population included all third-grade students of public high schools in Ilam, that were 700 students who were enrolled in 2014–2015 academic years. The sample included 248 students of the third grade in high schools of Ilam, that were selected using multistage cluster sampling method and table of Morgan. Tools were Bouffard's questionnaire of self-regulation in learning and revised adult attachment scale. Pearson's correlation and stepwise regression were used to analyze data.
RESULTS: The results showed that there was no significant relationship between attachment styles and academic achievement, but there was significant positive relationship between self-regulation and academic achievement (P ≤ 0.01). There was a significant positive relationship between secure attachment style and cognition (P ≤ 0.01). Furthermore, results showed that there was significant positive relationship between avoidant attachment style and self-regulation (P ≤ 0.01) as well as cognitive and metacognitive components (P ≤ 0.01); however, there was no significant relationship between insecure attachment style and self-regulation and its components.
CONCLUSION: Regression analysis results showed that 0.1% of the observed variance in academic achievement scores was explained by effect of attachment that was not significant.

Keywords: Academic achievement, attachment styles, self-regulation, students


How to cite this article:
Sayedi F, Yazdanbakhsh K, Karami J. The relationship between attachment styles, self-regulation, and academic achievement in students. Int J Educ Psychol Res 2017;3:250-4

How to cite this URL:
Sayedi F, Yazdanbakhsh K, Karami J. The relationship between attachment styles, self-regulation, and academic achievement in students. Int J Educ Psychol Res [serial online] 2017 [cited 2024 Mar 29];3:250-4. Available from: https://www.ijeprjournal.org/text.asp?2017/3/4/250/225098




  Introduction Top


Study of affecting factors on academic achievement has been emphasized more by education experts in recent decades. Numerous findings have shown that academic achievement is affected by structures of knowledge and information processing as well as environmental factors such as family and self-regulation.[1] With respect to the importance of academic achievement and affecting variables, identification of critical factors is very important. Particularly, importance of self-regulation and attachment styles during high school is essential more than other school years.[2] Typically, evaluation of students is about their academic achievement. However, evaluation of academic achievement is one of measurable variables of students. Based on previous studies, self-regulated learning strategies play an important role in students' academic achievement. Students with self-regulation have better performance in different fields of study, but few studies in Iran have studied relationship between attachment styles and academic and educational variables especially impact of attachment styles on academic achievement.[3] Moreover, no research has been observed in Iran on interactive effect of attachment styles and self-regulation on predicting academic achievement. In total, prediction of attachment styles and self-regulation in learning and some variables such as academic performance is very important practically because by sufficient information, it is possible to design suitable educational schedules for students and parents and then provide background to improve academic performance of various students.[4]

Based on some researches, it can be said that self-regulation causes motivation and academic achievement in students. By using this method, students can better learn habits and enhance their study skills. They can also use learning strategies to increase educational outcomes and monitor their performance and also evaluate their academic achievement.[5]

Schunk and Zimmerman [6] stated that study of self-regulation becomes more important at higher educational levels because students are expected to study many contents in nonschool environments. They should structure their study environment, schedule their course, and plan many other schedules and reviews.

On the other hand, all theories related to emotional and social growth emphasize relationship between children and parents and other caregivers. Attachment theory in the field of genuine need for attachment and quality of mother–child relationship is one of the most efficient theories of development, interpersonal relations, and regulation of emotions.[2] The concept of attachment contains social components (social communication), emotional (emotional relationship with others), cognitive (In-car models), and behavioral (behavioral responses within framework of social relations) components, and nature of interaction of these components determines child development process.[7] Attachment styles are the product of initial cognitive structures from the quality of responsiveness and sensitivity of attachment and play fundamental role in personal, social, and emotional evolution of individual during life. The persistence of attachment styles' effect at different ages has been confirmed in various studies [2],[8],[9] as well as scope of normal transformation and psychiatric pathology.[10]

The role of childhood experiences in determining adults' interpersonal relationships, healthy behaviors, and mental health is emphasized by studies. Bowlby [11] has offered integrated model of affective relationship between child and mother. Mother responds to child's messages for affective relationship and notices stress. Bowlby stated that early experiences of children are internalized in system that named In-car model model. This model is not only like pattern for basic human social relationships but also provides unwritten rules about how person experiences, expresses, and deals with disturbing emotions.[12]

Investigations [7],[13],[14],[15] showed that intrinsic motivation, self-esteem, self-satisfaction, use of cognitive, metacognitive strategies, confidence in one's abilities, use of more resources, and better efficiency are some of the characteristics of successful students. Moreover, among subscales of self-regulated learning strategies, resources management strategies could be good predictors of students' motivation for achievement.

Schimmenti and Bifulco [16] showed relationship between insecure attachment styles and separation anxiety and relationship between unorganized attachment, physical symptoms, social anxiety, and school phobia.

Leerkes et al.[17] reported that secure attachment to parents would decrease social anxiety and would develop cordial relationship with others.

Therefore, it is necessary to study and investigate relationship between attachment styles, self-regulation, and students' academic achievement with regard to various effects of attachment styles and self-regulation methods on students' characteristics. According to above, purpose of this study was to investigate relationship between attachment styles, self-regulation, and academic achievement in students.


  Methods Top


This was applied research in terms of purpose and descriptive-correlational research.

The research population included all third-grade students of public high schools in Ilam, that were 700 students who were enrolled in 2014–2015 academic years. The sample included 248 students of the third grade in high schools of Ilam, that were selected using multistage cluster sampling method and table of Morgan.

Research tools

Revised adult attachment scale (1996)

Collins and Read [18] have designed questionnaire based on descriptions in adult attachment questionnaire of Hazen and Shiver about three main styles of attachment. The subscale of anxiety (A) is consistent with anxiety/insecure attachment, and subscale of closeness (C) is consistent with secure attachment. Dependency scale (D) can be nearly considered as opposite of avoidant attachment.[19]

Collins and Read [18] reported Cronbach's alpha of closeness (C) as 0.69, dependency (D) and anxiety (A) as 0.72. The results of this double-checking questionnaire at a time interval of one month indicate that the difference between the two performances of A, D, and C scales is significant and this test is reliable at the level of 95%. The reliability of questionnaire was evaluated in Iran using test-retest method as correlation between two implementations on sample with 100 individuals (n = 100). Results of two use at 1 month interval indicated that difference between two implementations of A, D, and C scales was significant and test was reliable at level of 0.95.[20] In addition, Cronbach's alpha obtained for questionnaire in this study was 0.71 for secure attachment scale, 0.68 for anxiety/insecure attachment, and 0.73 for avoidant attachment.

Bouffard's questionnaire of self-regulation in learning

Fourteen items questionnaire is used to assess students' self-regulation which was designed by Bouffard-Bouchard et al.,[21] and was normalized by Parvin [22] Self-regulation questionnaire is scored by 5-point Likert scale which ranging from 5 (absolutely agree) to 1 (absolutely disagree). Questions 4, 13, and 14 are scored in reverse order. Minimum obtained score by participants is 14 and maximum is 60 points. Parvin [22] reported 0.71 for reliability coefficient of the questionnaire. Factor analysis results showed that correlation coefficient between questions was appropriate and tool was able to explain 0.52% of self-regulation variance and its validity was 0.74%.[22] In this study, Cronbach's alpha was obtained for questionnaire as 0.69%.

To select the sample, first list of public high schools of Ilam was prepared and then 10 high schools were selected among them. The Ilam city was divided into five areas as north, south, west, east, and central area; then, two high schools were randomly selected in each area. The questionnaires were distributed among the third-grade students of high schools, and 260 questionnaires were collected. Data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, Pearson's correlation, and stepwise regression with SPSS-18 (IBM, Chicago, USA).


  Results Top


The mean and standard deviation of attachment styles are displayed in [Table 1].
Table 1: Descriptive indicators of self-regulation scores and its components in the studied group

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The mean and standard deviation of self-regulation and its components were displayed in [Table 1]. As it can be seen, the mean and standard deviation of scores in students are 45.64 and 8.53 for self-regulation, 23.18 and 5.21 for cognition, 6.526 and 2.16 for motivation, and 15.93 and 5.21 for metacognition. [Table 1] shows mean scores of students for self-regulation and its components. As it can be seen, mean and standard deviation of academic achievement scores in students are 15.26 and 1.77, respectively.

As shown in [Table 2], there is no significant relationship between secure, avoidant, insecure attachments, and academic achievement.
Table 2: Correlation between attachment styles, self-regulation, and academic achievement

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As shown in [Table 2], there is a significant relationship between self-regulation and academic achievement (P ≤ 0.01). That means, by increasing students' self-regulation, their academic achievement would enhance and vice versa. As shown in [Table 2], there is a significant positive relationship between cognition and metacognition, two components of self-regulation and academic achievement (P ≤ 0.05). Furthermore, there is a significant positive relationship between motivation and academic achievement (P ≤ 0.01). Hence, there is significant relationship between components of self-regulation and academic achievement.

The regression analysis results in step 1 show that relationship between secure attachment style and self-regulation is 0.18 which explains 0.03% of variance of academic achievement scores significantly. Step 2 shows relationship between secure attachment style and self-regulation after effect of secure attachment. Comparison of steps 1 and 2 shows that secure attachment increases R2 as much as 0.002 which is not significant (P = 0.417, ^F = 0.417, ^R2 = 0.002). Step 2 shows that 0.02% of variance in academic achievement scores is explained by effect of secure attachment, so hypothesis is rejected [Table 3].
Table 3: Stepwise regression analysis results to evaluate role of secure attachment style in relationship between self-regulation and academic achievement

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The regression analysis results in step 1 show that relationship between avoidant attachment style and self-regulation is 0.18 which explains 0.03% of variance of academic achievement scores significantly. Step 2 shows relationship between avoidant attachment style and self-regulation after effect of avoidant attachment. Comparison of steps 1 and 2 shows that avoidant attachment increases R2 as much as 0.010 which is not significant (P = 0.110, ^F = 2.557, ^R2 = 0.010). Step 2 shows that 0.1% of variance in academic achievement scores is explained by effect of avoidant attachment, so hypothesis is rejected [Table 4].
Table 4: Stepwise regression analysis results to evaluate role of avoidant attachment style in the relationship between self-regulation and academic achievement

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The regression analysis results in step 1 show that relationship between insecure attachment style and self-regulation is 0.18 which explains 0.03% of variance of academic achievement scores significantly. Step 2 shows relationship between insecure attachment style and self-regulation after effect of insecure attachment. Comparison of steps 1 and 2 shows that insecure attachment increases R 2 as much as 0.009 which is not significant (P = 0.131, ^F = 2.292, ^R2 = 0.009). Step 2 shows that 0.09% of observed variance in academic achievement scores is explained by effect of insecure attachment [Table 5].
Table 5: Stepwise regression analysis results to evaluate role of insecure attachment style in the relationship between self-regulation and academic achievement

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  Discussion and Conclusion Top


This research was conducted to evaluate relationship between attachment styles, self-regulation, and academic achievement in students. The results indicated that there is no significant relationship between secure, avoidant and insecure attachment styles and academic achievement, but there was a significant relationship between attachment styles with each other which is inconsistent with results of previous studies. Other result of research is that there is a significant positive relationship between self-regulation and academic achievement. That means, if students' self-regulation increases, their academic achievement will enhance and vice versa. Moreover, there is significant positive relationship between components of self-regulation (cognition, metacognition, motivation) and academic achievement. The results are consistent with findings of previous studies. The results also showed that there is significant positive relationship between secure attachment style and self-regulation and cognition. That means, secure attachment style is associated with high self-regulation in knowledge. Furthermore, there is significant positive relationship between avoidant attachment style and self-regulation and cognition and metacognition components, but there is no significant relationship between insecure attachment style and self-regulation and its components. The regression analysis of results indicates that attachment variable could not predict relationship between self-regulation and academic achievement significantly, and prediction of academic achievement based on scores of attachment styles is not significant. However, in previous studies, relationship between attachment styles and academic achievement was significant; thus, this is not consistent with previous studies. Finally, prediction of academic achievement based on scores of self-regulation and its components is significant in relation to total score of self-regulation. These variables predict 3% of students' academic achievement on the whole [Table 3].

Finally, results of this study have led to certain findings some of which confirm results of previous similar studies and some others reject results of previous studies. According to these findings, it can be said that attachment styles influence academic achievement and can partly explain this component even by very slight effect. Since attachment styles are considered as one of the effective factors in ensuring successful, healthy, and pleasant life and with regard to its importance in balanced performance of families, understanding factors associated with it can strengthen family life. If factors affecting attachment styles are cared for, much psychiatric, affective, and social disorder of families and whole society can be expected to reduce with increasing level of attachment styles. Therefore, other factors might affect relationship. Since we are faced with various issues such as individual differences, tenacity, and adaptability of individuals, different family situations, altered attachment styles over time, personal and social problems and injuries that might occur at same time, favorite or critical socioeconomic conditions of family power structure, and the education of the parents, etc., each of which can be explicitly or implicitly affected by this relationship. We must act in the analysis of cautious results and carefully monitor other factors when examining such research.

Financial support and sponsorship

Nil.

Conflicts of interest

There are no conflicts of interest.



 
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    Tables

  [Table 1], [Table 2], [Table 3], [Table 4], [Table 5]



 

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