STRUCTURAL RELATIONS AMONG ATTACHMENT WORKING MODELS OF PARENTS, GENERAL AND SPECIFIC SUPPORT EXPECTATIONS, AND PERSONAL ADJUSTMENT IN LATEADOLESCENCE

The present study evaluated a theoretical model proposing that general ized perceptions of social support and specific support expectations m ediate the relations between attachment working models of parents end personal adjustment. Participants were 459 students who completed meas ures of attachment, social support, loneliness, and anxiety at the end of high school. Evaluation of the model by the EOS method indicated a n acceptable level of fit, with the model explaining 51 percent of the variance of personal adjustment problems. General and specific expect ations of social support were shown to be different constructs each me diating the relation between attachment and adjustment. These percepti ons provided a unique contribution to explaining personal adjustment a t the end of high school. The results are discussed in light of the re lations between attachment, perceptions of social support, and social cognitive theories.