Parental representations and attachment style as predictors of support-seeking behaviors and perceptions of support in an academic counseling relationship

The role of parental representations and attachment style as predictors of support-seeking behaviors and perceptions of support in the context of an a cademic counseling relationship was investigated. Prior to participation in a 10-hour academic counseling program in college, 91 students completed sc ales assessing perceptions of their current relationship with their parents and their attachment style. Students' support-seeking behaviors and counse lors' sensitivity. as reported by both participants (students and counselor s), were evaluated twice during the counseling process, and general feeling s of support were evaluated at the end of the program. Parental representat ions and attachment style both predicted students' support-seeking behavior s and perceptions of support in counseling. The strength of the prediction differed as a function of time of measurement and source of evaluation. In addition, student-perceived counselor sensitivity was found to mediate the relation between parental representations and support-seeking behaviors in counseling.