Investigation of the relationship between parent's attachment style and parental attitude

Investigation of the Relationship Between Parent's Attachment Style and Parental Attitude Objective: This study was carried out to investigate the relationship between the attachment style of mothers and fathers who have children between the ages of 2-6 and their parental attitude towards their own children. Materials and Methods: The study was carried out with 187 mothers and 112 fathers having children between the ages of 2-6, who were referred to the Child Development Unit of Cengiz Gökçek Maternity and Child's Hospital, which is affiliated to the Ministry of Health and located in the city center of Gaziantep. Family Information Form, Father and Mother Attachment Questionnaire (FMAQ) and Parental Attitude Scale (PAS) were used as data collection tools. Statistical analysis of the study conducted out using the survey model, which is a quantitative research technique, was carried out using the SPSS 20.0 software. In the analysis of the data, Student's t-test, One-Way Analysis of Variance and Pearson Correlation Test were used. Results: It was determined that the pregnancy status (planned-unplanned) of mothers having children between the ages of 2-6, experiencing problems during pregnancy, the person who looks after the child, the duration of breastfeeding and the economic conditions did not differ significantly according to the parent's attachment style and parental attitude. It was determined that the gender of the child, the educational level, the occupation, the marital status and the income level of the parents significantly affected the parent's attachment style and the parental attitude they exhibit. Conclusion: In the study, it was determined that there was a significant correlation between the attachment style of mothers and fathers who have children between the ages of 2-6 and their parental attitude towards their own children. It was revealed that parents who were positively attached to their own mothers and fathers exhibited more democratic attitudes towards their own children, and mothers who were negatively attached exhibited authoritarian and permissive attitudes. Keywords: Attachment, father and mother attachment, parental attitude