Does Attachment Predict Coping Strategies? An In-Depth Look At Millennials During COVID-19

<p>Individuals form attachments during the early stages of their lives, with the caregiver serving as their first attachment figure. An individual's attachment style may predict how an individual will react to challenges in life. Responses to challenges may be either adaptive (solution-focused) or maladaptive (solution-avoidant). The objective of this study was to examine how millennial adults demonstrate adaptive coping skills across attachment styles. This unique study explored the relationship between attachment style and coping strategies among five millennial adults. Participants were recruited through convenience sampling via social media and were included if they met the criteria of being a millennial adult. The study consisted of both quantitative and qualitative findings, including questionnaires that examined coping strategies and close relationships. The data was collected online and included: Shortened Ways of Coping-Revised (SWC-R), the Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised (ECR-R), and the Bird's Nest Drawing art directive. The results suggest secure attachments are associated with adaptive coping strategies; however, due to the small sample size of this study, these conclusions could not be generalized to the larger millennial population. Future research would benefit from increased sample size, diversification of millennial participants, and formal guidelines for in-person interviews with participants.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy

Level thesis:degree_level

Master's Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Art Therapy

Year dc:date.available

2022

Author dc:creator

• Johnson, Clinton

Contributors dc:contributor

• Erin Partridge, PhD, ATR-BC
• Amy Backos, PhD, ATR-BC

• attachment theory
• coping
• millennial
• SWC-R
• ECR-R
• BND
• COVID-19
• Art Therapy
• Developmental Psychology
• Marriage and Family Therapy and Counseling
• Personality and Social Contexts
• Theory and Philosophy

Repository record dc:identifier

https://scholar.dominican.edu/art-therapy-masters-theses/2

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholar.dominican.edu:art-therapy-masters-theses-1001