The relationship between attachment styles and coping strategies with stress:METU example

In this study which aims to examine the relation between the attachment styles and coping strategies of undergraduate school students; demographic variables were considered.The sample of the study includes 391 students in the Middle East Technical University in the academic year of 2010-2011. The number of the students consisted of 196 girls and 195 boys.The data was collected through the use of three different measures. Coping Strategies Inventory, Experiences in Close Relationships Inventory-II and Personal Information Form were used to measure some sociodemographic data of the sample. While analyzing the datas various statistical yöntem were applied to determine the differences of attachment style and coping strategies points from the different kinds of demographic properties. In case of diversion of the demographic characteristics within two groups t test was used. In case of diversion of the demographic characteristics within more than two groups one-way variance analysis ANOVA was used. The correlation between attachment styles and coping strategies was found with Pearson Moment Correlation Coefficient. To analyze all the datas gathered SPSS 15.0, which is used in social sciences for statictical analyze, was used.The results showed that there is a significant relationship between attachment related-anxiety and avodiant strategy and a significant relationship between attachment related-avodiance and social support.No meaningful difference was found between the variables of gender, age, number of the brother/sister, number of the birth, person caring from the birth, education status of mother and father, socioeconomic statu and attachment styles. Between the gender and social support strategy a meaningful difference was found. But no meaningful difference was found between age, number of the brother/sister, number of the birth, person caring from the birth, education status of mother and father, socioeconomic statu and coping strategies.All this results are discussed and some new direction are given to the further studies.Key Words: Attachment styles, stress, coping, undergraduate students.