Attachment State of Mind: Implications for Adjustment to College

The main purpose of this study was to examine the associations between attachment state of mind and adjustment to college. A related aim was to examine the moderating role of attachment state of mind in the relation between parental control and school adjustment. One-hundred two college freshmen completed the Adult Attachment Interview and a measure of parental control. They also completed a measure of college adjustment at the very beginning and at the very end of their freshman year. The findings showed that pre-occupation with attachment is related to poor adjustment after 1 year in college and to a general deterioration in adjustment and in grades during the freshman year. Preoccupation with attachment also accentuates the negative relationbetween parental psychological control and social adjustment. Dismissing attachment tendencies were found to be unrelated to college adjustment.