The role of maternal employment on the development of a child\u27s attachment style

Using a descriptive design, this research aimed to examine the four-group attachment prototype model of Bartholomew (1991) and the relationship it forms with maternal employment. Maternal employment is classified into the time of absence of the mother, the kind of maternal employment she is engaged in, and the presence of alternative caregivers during the mothers\u27 absence. One hundred adolescents, with ages ranging from 16-21 participated in this research. The Attachment Style Questionnaire (ASQ) was administered to the participants and this was used to determine the most prominent attachment style developed. An interview guide was given to the participants and the data gathered by the interviews was coded and used to supplement the results of the ASQ. Results showed that majority of the adolescents had a dismissing attachment style, specifically a discomfort attachment style, and based in the interviews, their answers showed three common themes: their desired parenting style, independence and compensatory actions