The Study of the Prevalence of Hostility and its relationship Association with Attachment styles and family functioning.

Akbarzadeh, Nahid and Barahmand, Usha and Abolghasemi, Abbas (2008) The Study of the Prevalence of Hostility and its relationship Association with Attachment styles and family functioning. Masters thesis, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili.

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Abstract

Aim: purpose of the present study was to determine the prevalence of hostility among the youth of Ardabil and its relationship with attachment style and family functioning. Method: A descriptive correlational research design was used. A random sample of 500 youth ranging in age from 18 years to 30 years was selected and the study variables were investigated by administering the Buss and Durkee Hostility Scale, Brennan and Shaver’s Experiences of Close Relationships questionnaire, Stein, Bishop and Baldoni’s family Functioning Scale. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages, mean, and standard deviations) and inferential statistics (MANOVA, correlations and multiple regressions). Results: The major findings of the present study were as follows: prevalence of the various indices of hostility among youth ranged from 11.9% to 19.6% with 1.1% and 3.6% reporting severe hostility and 8.9% to 18.9% revealing moderate levels of hostility. Except for the ‘assault’ subscale, on all other subscales of hostility, women scored higher. 32.9% of the sample reported secure attachment style, 36.4% reported preoccupied attachment style, 18.4% reported fearful attachment style and 12.2% reported dismissive attachment style. The anxious dimension of attachment correlated positively with all the indices of hostility except for verbal hostility, while the avoidant dimension only correlated positively with the ‘suspicion’ subscale of hostility. Among the factors of family functioning, ‘role’ was positively associated with suspicion and the avoidant dimension of attachment; ‘problem solving’ was negatively associated with all the indices of hostility except indirect hostility and negativism; ‘emotions’ were negatively associated with irritability, resentment, indirect hostility and suspicion as well as the anxious dimension of attachment. Results also revealed that individuals with a fearful attachment style reported greater hostility than those with other attachment styles as revealed by their higher scores on all the subscales of hostility. Furthermore, individuals with fearful and preoccupied attachment styles scored lower on ‘role’ and ‘emotions’ subscales of family functioning. Among individuals with different attachment styles, no significant differences were observed in terms of problem solving. The anxious dimension of attachment significantly predicted all the indices of hostility except verbal hostility. Conclusions: A preoccupied attachment style may not be indicative of insecure attachment, and anxiety and hostility may be reflective of a common underlying distress dimension.

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