A Turkish Adaptation of the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment: The Reliability and Validity Study

Problem Statement: Adolescent attachment with their parents has been explicitly considered in many studies, and a vast number of studies provide empirical evidence for the link between parental attachment and psychological well-being and adjustment in adolescence. Adolescents explore close and supportive relationships outside of their immediate family in this period, and attachment behavior is often directed beyond parental figures. Attachment theory provides a theoretical underpinning about the link between parent and child attachment style with peer-group functions and relationships. Therefore, in the current study, psychometric properties of the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment were examined in a sample of subjects in middle adolescence (aged between 14 and 18 years). Purpose of the Study: The study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment developed by Armsden and Greenberg, Turkish version (IPPA-T), with a sample of subjects in middle adolescence (aged between 14 and 18 years). Methods: In the study, the reliability and validity of a three-dimension model of adolescents' attachment to mother, father and peer were examined. In order to determine how well the identified model of the original version of the IPPA fits the Turkish adaptation of IPPA (IPPA-T), a Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) were performed to understand the factor structure of IPPA-T. 315 high school students from Ankara, Turkey, participated in the study. Test-retest reliability was conducted using a Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient over a two-week interval. Finally, the validity analysis was conducted by correlating the total and subscale of IPPA-T scores with Positive and Negative Affect Scale and Self-Esteem Scale. Findings and Results: The results of the initial confirmatory factor analyses suggested that the original factor structure of the IPPA does not fit the data for adolescents' ratings of mothers, fathers and peer on the measures. The exploratory factor analyses revealed a new three-factor structure for IPPA with a shortened scale. The second confirmatory factor analyses demonstrated that the new three-factor model provides an acceptable fit. Conclusions and Recommendations: It was concluded that the IPPA-T constitutes a useful tool for the assessment of both parent and peer attachment in adolescents aged between 14 and 18 years. The findings of the current study provide a good starting point for further attachment instruments in the Turkish culture.