PERCEIVED ATTACHMENT AND PROSOCIAL BEHAVIOR IN ADOLESCENTS

Considering the fundamental role of parental attachment in the development of different socio-emotional resources, the aim of this research was to study if the perception of parental attachment is specifically related to adolescent's prosocial behavior. Method: We worked with an intentional non-probabilistic sample of 285 adolescents (216 females and 69 males) aged between 14 and 18 years (M = 15.68, SD = 1.14), of Cordoba, Argentina. After obtaining informed consent from their parents, the translated and validated in Argentina version of Parental Attachment Questionnaire of Kenny (1987) and the translated and validated version for Argentinean adolescents of the Prosocial Tendencies Measure (PTM) of Carlo & Randall (2002) were administered. A Multivariate Variance (MANOVA) analysis was performed, the results indicated significant differences in the profile of prosocial behavior in function of secure/positive attachment (F de Hotelling (8.56) = 3.33; p = .001). The results of univariate analysis corresponding to each one of the prosocial dimensions evaluated are discussed in terms of theoretical and empirical developments found until now, finding an overall consistency between them.