The structure of attachment networks in Italian young adults

The aim of this study was to assess the composition and the structure of Italian Young adults’ attachment networks. According to the literature, with the development individuals form multiple attachment bonds, which may vary in importance, strength, and functions. In other words, adults and young adults are likely to differ in their strength of attachment to particular figures and in the number and type of relationships that comprise adults’ attachment network (Doherty & Feeney, 2004). In fact, throughout adolescence and early adulthood, attachment functions are gradually transferred from parents to peers and the number of attachment figures increases. Romantic partners, age-peers such as friends and siblings may fulfil significant attachment functions in adulthood, such as providing closeness (safe haven function), security (secure base), spending time with (proximity seeking), or missing the person during separations (separation protest). A questionnaire measure of preferred attachment figures, derived from the literature, was administered to 140 Italian young adults, aged 20-35, in order to analyse the composition and the structure of their attachment networks. The results confirmed the hypothesis that romantic partners, when present, are the most important attachment figures during early adulthood. Using the strict criteria proposed by Doherty e Feeney (2004) to define full-blown attachment, 44% of participants had one attachment relationship full-blown, 48% more than one, and 8% none.