Insecure Attachment and Self-Esteem of In-School Adolescents in Secondary Schools in Okpe Local Government Area of Delta State
Keywords:
Insecure, Attachment,, Self-Esteem, Adolescent, StudentsAbstract
This study investigated the association between insecure attachment and self-esteem of in-school adolescents in secondary school students. The formulation of four objectives, research questions, and hypotheses guided the study. The study was anchored on the attachment theory, with a correlational research design employed to examine the variables. The study's population was 1,590 students from private and public schools in the study area, with a sample size of 320 informed by Taro Yemen's formula for determining sample size. Data was collected using the Insecure Attachment and Self-Esteem Questionnaire. The reliability coefficient of 0.78 for the RQ and 0.82 for the RSS suggested that the questionnaires had acceptable internal consistency. Mean, standard deviation and Pearson Product Moment Correlation were used to answer the research questions while Pearson Product Moment Correlation was used to test the hypotheses at the 0.05 alpha level. The study's findings revealed a moderate connection between anxious attachment and high self-esteem, as well as avoidant attachment and low self-esteem. There was a strong connection between anxious attachment and low self-esteem, while a weaker connection was found between avoidant attachment and low self-esteem. The study concluded that insecure attachment styles, particularly anxious attachment, may have a significant impact on the self-esteem of in-school adolescents. The study recommended, among others, that the management of secondary schools should consider implementing programs or interventions aimed at addressing anxious attachment behaviours in students with high self-esteem.
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