Adult Daughter-Mother Attachment: Psychometric Properties of Turkish Version of Adult Attachment Scale

Year 2019, Volume: 10 Issue: 4, 451 - 466, 13.12.2019

Meltem Anafarta Şendağ Funda Kutlu

https://doi.org/10.21031/epod.553763

Abstract

The present study aims to assess the psychometric
qualities of the Turkish version of the Adult Attachment Scale (AAS) assessing
adult daughter’s current attachment to their elderly mother. In total, 560
women with the mean age of 39.6 have participated. Parallel to the original
study, exploratory factor analysis was conducted with adult daughters (N = 304) who were providing instrumental
help to their mothers regularly. Results yielded 2 correlated factors (secure
base and safe haven). Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the factor
structure is applicable to the adult daughters who were not providing regular
help to their mothers (N = 256).
Measurement invariance was established across two groups constructed in terms
of the presence of instrumental help provided to the elderly mothers by their
adult daughters. Internal consistency and 6-month stability for the scale are
satisfactory. Further evidence for convergent and concurrent validity has been
supported by presenting a positive correlation of AAS with the level of significance
of the mother in the adult daughter’s attachment hierarchy as compared to other
attachment figures, levels of quality of the current relationship and the
frequency of contact with the mother. Results are discussed in terms of AAS’s
appropriateness for Turkish culture and possible contribution in an understanding
attachment to a parent in late adulthood, a critical emerging need for the
aging world. 

Keywords

Attachment, adult daughter, elderly mother

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