Parental and Peer Attachment as Predictors of the Perceived Experience of Emerging Adulthood Among Undergraduates Between the Ages of 18-20

The purpose of this study was to identify which combination of factors associated with parent attachment, peer attachment, sex, age, ethnicity, number of undergraduate credit hours, high school graduation date, relationship status, residential status, mental health diagnosis, primary caregivers, perceived closeness of parent attachment, and perceived closeness of peer attachment predicted the perceived experience of emerging adulthood among undergraduate students between the ages of 18 to 20. Emerging adulthood has received attention and come to be viewed as a unique stage of development, distinct from both adolescence and adulthood (Arnett, 2000). Because of this, researchers have sought to highlight various factors which comprise this developmental stage (see MacMillan, 2007; Nelson et al., 2007; Scharf & Mayseless, 2010; Sneed, Hamagami, McArdle, Cohen, & Chen, 2007). Attachment theory provides a lens through which individuals can conceptualize the factors that collectively occur during emerging adulthood. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine which factors associated with parent attachment, peer attachment, sex, age, ethnicity, number of undergraduate credit hours, high school graduation date, relationship status, residential status, mental health diagnosis, primary caregivers, perceived closeness of parent attachment, and perceived closeness of peer attachment predicted the perceived experience of emerging adulthood. The sample for this study included 1,614 participants who volunteered to participate in the study. Participation in this study included the completion of questions regarding demographic data. In addition, completion of the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment (IPPA) instrument was used in order to assess for parent and peer attachment, and completion of the Inventory of the Dimensions of Emerging Adulthood (IDEA) was used in order to assess for the perceived experience of emerging adulthood among participants.