ERIC Number: EJ727732
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2005
Pages: 12
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1081-4159
EISSN: N/A
Attachment and Individuation of Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing and Hearing Young Adults
Weisel, Amatzia; Kamara, Ahiya
Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, v10 n1 p51-62 Win 2005
This study examined differences between deaf/hard-of-hearing (D/HH) and hearing persons with regard to two interrelated and continuous developmental processes: attachment (Bowlby, 1969) and individuation (Mahler, 1963). The study also examined intergroup differences in two personal variables assumed to be influenced by these processes: self-esteem and well-being. Participants comprised 38 D/HH and 42 hearing persons aged 18 to 35 years from middle and upper-middle socioeconomic classes. All the D/HH participants had graduated from mainstreamed educational programs. Findings showed that D/HH participants expressed more fear of attachment and more fear of individuation than did hearing participants. D/HH participants also revealed a lower self-esteem and lower level of well-being compared to hearing participants. Higher fear of attachment correlated with lower levels of self-esteem and well-being. Results supported the theorized relationships between attachment and individuation processes and between these two processes and personality characteristics such as self-esteem and well-being.
Descriptors: Deafness, Young Adults, Comparative Analysis, Hearing Impairments, Attachment Behavior, Self Esteem, Well Being, Correlation, Personality Traits, Individual Characteristics
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A