Young adulthood: fluctuating “attachment bonds” at the on-set of romantic relationship

Abstract

Attachment is a basic need of every creature which varies at different stages of life for various reasons: to survive, gain security and form a lineage. Young adulthood is a period of drastic changes which take place in every domain of life. The emotional development of young adults is totally dependent upon their parents and peer circle. But the arrival of a romantic partner, creates a change in the attachment dynamics of young adults. Holding on to this thought, the present study was undertaken to identify the occurrence of changes in the attachment style of romantically involved young adults. The sample comprised of a total of 400 college students (200 Graduates, and 200 Above Graduates) who were currently in a relationship selected using snowball sampling technique under two populations i.e. GBPUA&T, Pantnagar, and PAU, Ludhiana Universities. A self-reporting questionnaire was employed. Students were asked to submit the questionnaire anonymously in an envelope addressed to the researcher for the confidentiality of their responses. Findings reveal that graduates were seen to be having a secure attachment with parents whereas; above graduates were highly inclined towards secure peer attachment. Dismissing attachment style with peers was highly prevalent in graduates, on the contrary, above graduates were seen to be highly dismissive towards their parents.