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TOPIC
RELATIONSHIP OF ATTACHMENT STYLE, EMOTION REGULATION AND

RESILIENCE IN ORPHANS

RESEARCH BY

SEHAR YASMEEN (L1F19BSSY0182)

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CHAPTER 1

RELATIONSHIP OF ATTACHMENT STYLE, EMOTION REGULATION AND

RESILIENCE IN ORPHANS

The objective of this study is to find the relationship of attachment style with emotional

regulation and resilience in orphans. Attachment style refers to typical way individuals interact

with others in close relationships based on their past experiences with attachment figures, such as

parents or caregivers (Ainsworth, Blehar, Waters & Wall, 1998). Ainsworth, the pioneer

researcher in attachment theory, also defines the attachment style as pattern of behaviors that

infant exhibit when separated and reunited with their primary caregiver, which reflect the quality

of attachment relationship (Ainsworth, 1967). Ainsworth identified three main attachment styles:

secure, anxious-ambivalent, and avoidant. These attachment styles were further refined by later

researches, such as Mary Main and Erik Hesse, who identified a fourth attachment style called

disorganized attachment, which reflects unresolved trauma and fear in the attachment

relationship (Main & Hesse, 1990). The attachment style that an individual develops is

influenced by the quality and consistency of attachment figure’s responses to individual’s need

for comfort and security (Bowlby, 1969). There are four main attachment styles which are

secure, anxious-ambivalent, avoidant-dismissive, and disorganized. These styles are

characterized by different patterns of behaviors, emotions and thoughts that individual use to

manage their relationships with others based on their past attachment styles (Main & Solomon,

1990).

Secure Attachment Style

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Secure attachment style is the healthiest attachment style, characterized by positive view

of self and others, and a comfortable balance between seeking closeness and independence.

Individuals with secure attachment styles basically have supportive and trusted relationship with

others and are comfortable with intimacy, interdependence and autonomy (Mikulincer & Shaver,

2016).

Anxious- Ambivalent Attachment Style

Anxious-ambivalent attachment style is characterized by negative view of self and

preoccupation with relationships, leading them to anxiety and uncertainty about the availability

and responsiveness of attachment figures. Individuals with this attachment style often exhibit

clingy and demanding behaviors in close relationships, seeking constant reassurance and

attention from their partners, but experiencing distress and uncertainty when they feel rejected or

abandoned (Cassidy & Shaver, 2016).

Avoidant-Dismissive Attachment Style

Avoidant dismissive attachment style is characterized by a negative view of others and a

preference for independence, which can be to emotional attachment and avoidance of the

intimacy in close relationships. Individuals with this attachment style often value self-sufficiency

and self-reliance and may perceive emotional dependence as weakness and vulnerability. They

may also use distancing and deactivating strategies to regulate their emotions and to avoid the

potential rejection or disappointment from others (Mikulincer & Shaver, 2016).

Disorganized Attachment Style

Disorganized attachment style is characterized by a lack of coherent attachment strategies

often due to traumatic experience is or inconsistent and abusive parenting. Individuals with this
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attachment style may exhibit contradictory and disorienting behaviors in close relationships, such

as fear, anger, dissociation and disconnection. They may also have difficulties regulating their

emotions and making sense of their experiences, leading to increased risk for mental health

problems and social dysfunction (Main & Solomon, 1990).

In this study, attachment style is defined as an independent variable which hypothesize to

effect or influence the other variables which are emotional regulation and resilience in orphans.

In context of this study, attachment style can be operationalized as a categorical variable based

on four attachment styles identified in attachment theory. Independent variable of attachment

style is important to consider in this study as it may have significant impact on emotional and

psychological well-being of orphans. Previous research has shown that attachment style is

related to a range of outcomes, including mental health, social functioning and coping strategies

(Mikulincer & Shaver, 2007).

EMOTIONAL REGULATION

Emotional regulation refers to the process by which individuals manage their emotions in

response to environmental or interpersonal demands (Gross, 2015). In other words, emotional

regulation involves the ability to change the emotional experience, expression and physiological

response of a person in order to adapt to the situational demands and to achieve goal of person.

Emotional regulation is a complex process that involves a range of cognitive, behavioral, and

physiological strategies that includes reappraisal, distraction, suppression and relaxation (Gross

& Thompson, 2007).

In this study, emotional regulation can be conceptualized as Independent Variable (IV) to

examine its effect on other variables. By manipulating emotional regulation abilities in orphans
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with different attachment styles, I will be able to examine whether there are differences in their

resilience levels or not. Emotional regulation can be particularly important factor in promoting

resilience as orphans experience significant emotional stress and trauma due to their experiences

of loss, abandonment, and institutionalization. By examining how emotional regulation abilities

are related to resilience in orphans with different attachment styles, we can identify ways to help

promote their emotional well-being and build their resilience in the face of their adversity.

RESILIENCE

Resilience is the ability to adapt and recover from stress, adversity and trauma. It

involves the capacity to maintain a sense of well-being to face challenges and significant life

changes. According to Masten and Narayan (2012), resilience refers to capacity of dynamic

system to withstand or recover from significant challenges that threaten its stability, viability, or

development. Resilience is also defined as the ability to cope and adapt successfully in the face

of adversity, stress, or significant source of risk ( Ungar, 2011). Orphans have experienced the

loss of one or both parents, which can be traumatic and stressful experience hat can affect their

emotional and behavioral functioning. orphans may have less access to resources and support

that are typically provided by parents, like emotional warmth, guidance, and protection. These

factors can put them at the risk of psychological and behavioral problems. in orphans, resilience

can play a critical and important role in helping them to come up with the challenges they face

and bounce back from setbacks. This makes the resilience particularly an important outcome to

examine. By examining how attachment style and emotional regulation may influence resilience

in orphans, we can get insight into the factors that promote resilience in orphans and identify

potential targets for intervention and support. Resilience is Dependent Variable (DV) in this

study, as it can help us in examining important insights into how orphans cope with adversity
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and thrive despite the challenges they face. We can also identify the factors that promote

resilience in orphans.

METHOD

The population in this study is Orphans (either who lost both parents, or any one parent)

with the age range of 10 to 19 years old. The main objective of this study is to find the

relationship of attachment style with resilience and emotional regulation in orphans.

There are specific reasons to take this age range of sample. This study will include age range of

10 to 19 years because this is the developmental stage and for adolescents orphans this stage is

critical where they experience significant physical, emotional and social changes. Orphans

during this age range may be more vulnerable to various psychosocial pressure such as grief,

trauma and loss. By examining the relationship between attachment style, emotional regulation

and resilience may provide valuable insights into how these factors can support their

psychological well-being. There is also limited amount of research on psychological well-being

of orphans, particularly adolescence. So, this study will help in in filling the research gap and

contribute to our understanding of their mental health needs. These things make them ideal

population to study in context of these variables.

1.1 RATIONALE

Orphans are vulnerable population who have experienced significant trauma and loss which

can impact their attachment style, emotional regulation and resilience. Understanding the
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relationship between these factors can provide us the valuable insight into how to support them

to improve their well-being and mental health. Attachment style refers to individual’s

relationship with caregivers and other significant figures. Orphans may have experience issues

and disruptions in attachment because of losing parents. This can affect their ability to make and

maintain healthy relationships in their life and it could then ultimately lead to impact their

resilience and emotional regulation. Resilience is ability of people to cope up with trauma they

have experienced. Development of resilience can be affected or influenced by attachment styles.

Orphans with secure attachment are more likely to develop resilience because they have

experienced positive relationship with caregivers, while orphans with insecure attachment style

may struggle to develop resilience. Emotional regulation is another important factor in the lives

of orphans. Lack of emotional regulation can lead to negative outcomes like mental health

disorders, difficulty in forming positive relationships and also poor academic performance.

Attachment style can impact the emotional regulation as orphans with secure attachment style

can have better ability to regulate their emotions than those who have insecure attachment style.

So, it is very necessary to see the relationship of between attachment style, resilience and

emotional regulation in orphans. This can help us in gaining better understanding about the

complex factors that contribute to the well-being and mental health issues of this vulnerable

population. We can develop programs and interventions to support orphans in developing

resilience, healthy emotional regulation which can lead to the better outcomes in their life.

Therefore, this topic of relationship between attachment style, emotional regulation and

resilience in orphans is a valuable area of research that can have important implication for

practice and policy.

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1.2 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

The purpose of the study is to examine how attachment styles, emotional regulation and

resilience interrelate in orphaned individuals.

1.3 LITERATURE REVIEW

The following section will review articles related to relationship of attachment style with

emotional regulation and resilience among orphans and non-orphan. Birneanu (2010) conducted

a study which aimed to analyze the resilience of foster children, the influence and importance of

their attachment. The study was conducted on foster children and adolescents of age range 6 to

18 years in 2010 in Timis and Arad, Romania. The data collection took place between October

2010 to November 2011 in both urban and rural areas. The sample size was of 92 children of 6 to

18 age including 48 boys and 44 girls. The investigation of attachment and resilience in foster

care children was made through semi structured interviews and Friends and family interviews.

The study design was Qualitative approach with structured interviews. The tools used were

friends and family structured interview adapted after Adult Attachment Inventory (George,

Kaplan, Main, 1996). Interviews were audio recorded. The outcome of this study shows that

foster parents can improve the self-esteem of children in care and by providing them secure

attachment which is lower than of their non foster peers.

Previous finding which was carried out by Sewasew et.al (2017) to find out the

contribution of guardian care and peer support for psychological resilience among orphaned

adolescence in Ethiopia. The study was conducted in Ethiopia on orphan adolescents as an

individual between the age of 12 and 20 who has lost one or both parents. The sample size was
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300 adolescents which includes 165 boys and 135 girls. The sample was selected by using

systematic random sampling. The tools which were used to measure the variables were CD-RISC

(Connor Davidson Resiliency Scale). It was used to measure the general resilience ability of

respondents. Data was analyzed by using descriptive statistics, one way ANOVA, t-test, Pearson

correlation and hierarchical regression analysis for obtained data. The results shows that there is

a strong, positive and significant relationship between these variables.

Earlier correlational study was done by Naderi, Akbari and Abbasi-Asl (2016) which

aimed to investigate the mediating role of resilience in relation to attachment style and quality of

life. This study was conducted through pathway analysis method. The statistical population

includes male and female students in high schools of Bobalsan, Iran of batch 2015-2016 with the

mean age of 16.48. the sample size was 353 students including 216 female and 137 males. The

participants were selected by clustered random sampling. The tools which were used to measure

variables were Adult Attachment Questionnaire, Connor Davidson Questionnaire of resilience

and short scale of Quality of Life by World Health Organization. Spss version 22 was used to run

the analysis. The results show significant positive relationship between secure attachment with

resilience (r= 0.52, p= 0.001) and quality of life (r= 0.23, p= 0.014).

A non-experimental correlational study was done by Pakdaman S. et.al (2016) to study

the role of attachment style and resilience on loneliness in students. This correlational study was

conducted in 2011-2012 on the students of Shahid Beheshti University. The sample size was 200

including 132 women and 66 men. The sample was selected through multistage cluster sampling.

Data collection for variables was done through tools like questionnaires related to attachment

style, resilience and loneliness. Analysis of data was done through Pearson correlation

coefficient, regression analysis and independent t-test. Cronbach’s alpha and test-retest reliability
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coefficients of tests were reported as 0.79 and 0.73 respectively. The results shows that there

were more signs of loneliness resulting from family relation and emotional loneliness in men as

compared to women in this study. Assessing the correlation between the variables gives the

results that secure attachment had a significant negative relationship with loneliness due to due to

communication with friend (p<0.05) and ambivalent attachment style had a significant positive

correlation with the loneliness due to communication with friends and family (p<0.05).

Another descriptive correlational investigation was done by Bigdeli, Najafy and Rostami

(2013) at the student of Semnan University. The aim of research is to investigate the relationship

of attachment styles, emotion regulation, resilience and well-being among students of medical

sciences. The sample was collected through convenience sampling. The sample size was 200

medical science students. The tools which were used to collect the data were questionnaire of

attachment style, emotional regulation, resilience and well-being. The data analysis was done by

using Pearson correlation and regression. A significant relationship was observed between secure

attachment and reappraisal to psychological well-being. The results indicate that attachment

style, resilience and emotion regulation are very good predictors for assessing the psychological

well-being. The results also indicate that we can enhance student’s psychological well-being and

mental health by making strong networks with attachment figures.

Previous research was done by Surzykiewicz et.al (2022) which aimed to test a model

that looks self-esteem and perceived social support as potential mediators of relationship

between resilience and emotional regulation. The data was collected in June 2021 from group of

students from three school dormitories in Poland. The sample size was 251 adolescents including

61% girls and 39% boys of the age range between 14 and 19 years. The participants in the study

were anonymous and voluntary. The study included procedure of completing paper and pencil
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questionnaires for the measurement of self-esteem and resilience and to get the findings about

perceived social support and emotional regulation. The tools which were used to measure the

variables are Resilience Scale (RS) and Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale (SES). The analysis was

carried out by IBM SPSS Statistics 27 software. The evaluation was done by using r-Pearson

correlation analysis. The study assessed that there is an indirect impact of the resilience on

emotional regulation by perceived social support and self-esteem. It also gives us the insight that

resilience can improve self-assessment and perceived social support. This favors high level of the

emotional regulation in adolescent group.

A study conducted by Azpiazu Izaguirre L, Fernández AR and Palacios EG (2021) which

aimed to examine social support, emotional regulation and resilience explained by life

satisfaction in adolescents. The sample size was 1188 adolescents of a secondary school students

including 546 girls and 642 boys and age was between 12 and 16 years. Out of the total sample

size, 690 came from public schools and 498 came from semi private schools. The data was

collected by incidental sampling method and collected by visiting to school and after the

authorization of school and consent form of parents. The tools which were used to measure the

variables were Perceived Social Support from Family and Friends Questionnaire to measure the

support from family and friends, Trait Meta Mood Scale-24 to measure emotional regulation and

Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale-10 to measure resilience. Results shows that emotional

regulation and social support was related indirectly to life satisfaction among adolescents

through resilience.

In a similar vein, research was conducted by Hassanin, N. (2019) in order to study the

resilience level of adolescents who were raised in orphanages. This study was done in 2019 in

Egypt. The data was collected from adolescents from orphanages. The sample size was 41
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orphans from 6 orphanages including 75.6% male and 24.4% females. The age range of sample

participants was 17-18 years. The data collection was done through face-to-face interviews. The

tool which was used to measure the variable was Child and Youth Resilience Measure (CYRM-

12). The youth in the sample had resilience level of 48.68 which indicates the high resilience.

The results shows that there is high level of resilience in adolescents of orphanage and then

contributors to high level of resilience were supportive relationship with peers, orphanage

siblings and caring adults.

Recently, research was done by Mansoer, Putri and Sulaiman (2018) which aimed to

study attachment to significant figures (father, mother, orphanages caregivers, peers) resilience

and delinquency among adolescents in orphanages in Jakarta. The study included the sample size

of 402 adolescents including 179 boys and 223 girls from 19 orphanages in Jakarta aged between

11-19 years. The participants were students of middle and high schools. This is correlation

research which have delinquency as a dependent variable and attachment to significant figures

and resilience as independent variable. The tools which were used to measure the variables were

Children Report of Parent Inventory (CRPBI-30), Intimate Friendship Scale (IFS), Child and

Youth Resilience Measure (CYRM-28) and Self-report Delinquency Scale (SRDS). Data

collection was done by going to 19 orphanages through interviews. Descriptive analysis shows

that attachment to orphanage’s caregivers and resilience was negatively correlated with

delinquency. So, the results show significant correlation between resilience and delinquency.

SUMMARY
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In light of all these article reviews, we can see that there is a significant positive relation

between attachment style, emotion regulation and resilience in orphans. If orphans have a

significant and important attachment figure in their life, that could be anyone like any one of

parent (if alive), siblings, peers, caregivers, or any blood relation, then there is possibility of high

rate of resilience in them and their emotional regulation can also be very strong.

HYPOTHESIS

Orphans with secure attachment style will demonstrate higher level of emotional

regulation and resilience compared to orphans with an insecure attachment style.

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REFERENCES

Surzykiewicz, J.; Skalski, S.B.; Sołbut, A.; Rutkowski, S.; Konaszewski, K. Resilience and

Regulation of Emotions in Adolescents: Serial Mediation Analysis through Self-Esteem and the

Perceived Social Support. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19, 8007. https://

doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19138007

Azpiazu Izaguirre L, Fernández AR and Palacios EG (2021) Adolescent Life Satisfaction

Explained by Social Support, Emotion Regulation, and Resilience. Front. Psychol. 12:694183.

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.694183

Daniel Sewasew, Orna Braun-Lewensohn & Ebabush Kassa (2017): The contribution of

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Hassanin, N. (2019). Assessing the resilience of adolescents who were raised in orphanages in

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