Attachment and Parental Correlates in Late Adolescent Mexican American Women

Attachment dimensions and styles, parental caregiving styles, and acculturation were investigated among late adolescent Mexican American Hispanic and non-Hispanic White college women. Results showed no differences between groups on dimensions of attachment or distribution of attachment styles. Significant differences were found for parental gender. For both groups, mothers were rated higher on warmth, whereas fathers’ scores were higher for both ambivalent and cold caregiving styles. No maternal variables were associated with attachment security—only paternal variables—that highlights the salient role of fathers. Implications of measurement and acculturation are discussed as well as recommendations for future research into Hispanic populations.