THESIS ABSTRACT
1. TITLE: PARENT-CHILD ATTACHMENT OF IBALOY-KANKANA-EY ADOLESCENTS
AND ITS’ INFLUENCE ON THEIR LOVE STYLES AND EMPATHY
Total no. of pages: 67
Total no. of text: 52
2. AUTHOR: DUMAL-IN, LALAINE LAPISAC
3. TYPE OF DOCUMENT: Thesis
4. TYPE OF PUBLICATION: Unpublished
5. ACCREDITING INSTITUTION,
ADRESS, REGION: Saint Louis University (Private)
Bonifacio St., Baguio City
CHED-CAR
6. KEY WORDS:
Parent-child Attachment, Love Styles, Empathy, Adolescent, Ibaloy-Kankana-ey, Influence of
Parent-child relationship, Family Dynamics,
7. ABSTRACT
7.1 Summary
The attachment of children with their parents have been proven to be very influential to a person’s
emotional development. It has been cited in many studies that attachment styles help create mental
models for future close relationships. This study looked into the attachment style, love styles, and
empathy of male and female adolescents in Ibaloy-Kankana-ey families. It identified the differences
of these variables between adolescent males and females. Furthermore, the influence of attachment to
the adolescents’ love style and empathy was also explored in this research.
The respondents of this study are Ibaloy-Kankana-ey adolescents only. The participants included 146
adolescents, ranging from 15-21 years old, whose parents are both Ibaloy or Kankana-ey, or a
combination of Ibaloy and Kankana-ey group and who lived in the provinces of Benguet and Mt.
Province. Furthermore, the participants included adolescents from Saint Louis University, University
of the Cordilleras, Benguet State University, and Cordillera Career Development College.
Three questionnaires were given to the respondents. The first tool is a parent-child attachment scale
adopted from the study of Bartholomew & Horowitz. The second tool is a modified version of The
Emotional Empathy Scale for Adolescents and Adults by Caruso & Mayer. The third tool is The
Love Attitude Scale (LAS) (Hendrick & Hendrick).
To determine the dominant style of parent-attachment and typical love styles of the male and female
adolescents, the Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) for dependent groups was used. To assess the
difference of the level of empathy between the male and female adolescents, T-test was utilized. To
measure the relationship between the parent-child attachment styles and the love styles of the male
and female adolescents, the Pearson correlation coefficient was computed. The same treatment was
used to determine the relationship between the adolescents' attachment styles and level of empathy.
7.2 Findings
Secure attachment is the dominant parent-child attachment style experienced by the male adolescents
and anxious/pre-occupied styles of parent-child attachment is the least dominant style.
Female adolescents do not have a dominant style of attachment. They practice the four styles of
attachment equally.
Pragma, storge and agape are the typical love styles experienced by the male adolescents while
mania is the least experienced love style by the male adolescents.
Pragma and storge are the typical love styles of the female adolescents. Eros, mania, and ludus are
the least experienced love styles of the female adolescents.
There is a significant difference in the empathy level of male and female adolescents.
Ibaloy-Kankana-ey adolescent females are more empathetic than male adolescents.
For male adolescents, a higher level of avoidant/fearful attachment means a lower level of ludus as a
love style.
In female adolescents anxious-preoccupied and avoidant-fearful attachment styles are positively
correlated with the love style agape. The avoidant-fearful attachment style is positively correlated
with the love style storge.
The attachment style avoidant-dismissing is positively correlated with empathy.
7.3 Conclusions
Ibaloy-Kankana-ey male adolescents are securely attached and at the same time insecurely attached
(avoidant-fearful and avoidant-fearful) with their parents. This secure attachment observed in the
male adolescents is probably the result of the positive parenting practices observed by the IbaloyKankana-ey parents. The insecure attachments (avoidant-fearful and avoidant-fearful) demonstrated
by the male respondents could be a result of the conflicts and changes experienced by the male
respondents in the stage of adolescence.
Ibaloy-Kankana-ey female adolescents are securely attached and at the same time insecurely attached
(anxious/pre-occupied) with their parents. The secure attachment observed in the female adolescents
is likewise probably the result of the positive child rearing practices of the Ibaloy-Kankana-ey
parents. The insecure attachment (anxious/pre-occupied) is also a response to the difficulties in
adolescence.
Pragma, storge, and agape are the dominant love styles of the Ibaloy-Kankana-ey male adolescents.
This means that in romantic relationships they are practical lovers, looking for partners who have
similar background and values as they have; they look for partners whom they enjoy doing things
with, like with a friend; and they desire a love that is selfless, kind, and patient.
Pragma and storge are the dominant love styles of Ibaloy-Kankana-ey female adolescents. This
means that similar with the male adolescents, the females are practical in relationships and they also
develop a romantic relationship with a person who is like a friend.
Females are more empathic than males. Females are oriented and expected by the society to be caring
and emotional that it is easier for them to understand other people’s emotion and share with their
difficulties.
An avoidant-fearful attachment is negatively correlated with the love style ludus among IbaloyKakana-ey male adolescents. This means that male adolescents who experienced a distant
relationship with their parents do not adopt a love style that is likewise distant and sees love as a
game. The awareness of the negative impact of this insecure type of attachment could possibly be the
reason the male adolescent do not want to replicate this kind of attachment with the romantic partner.
An avoidant-fearful and anxious/pre-occupied attachment style is positively correlated with the love
style agape and likewise an avoidant-fearful attachment is positively correlated with the love style
storge among Ibaloy-Kankana-ey female adolescents. This means that female adolescents who
experienced a parent-child attachment that is distant and high in distress and need to be with the
attachment figure, causes them to exhibit a love style that is opposite in nature. They exhibited agape
and storge which are love styles that are selfless; do not demand reciprocity, and values
companionship. They desire affection and intimacy with the partner possibly because they were
unable to experience it with their parents.
Ibaloy-Kankana-ey male adolescents who were insecurely attached (avoid-dismissing) with their
parents have high level of intimacy. This is perhaps because they have an enhanced understanding of
negative emotions since they were subjected to negative emotions more frequently. This makes them
more capable of empathising with people especially with people in distress.
7.4 Recommendations
Parents should be aware of the effect of their parenting styles and child-rearing practice to the
psychological development of their children. They should make an effort to make themselves
knowledgeable by reading books, attending seminars, or consulting professionals regarding these
matters.
School administrators, guidance counsellors, and teachers should include subjects or lectures on the
family system and dynamics so that the adolescents will understand the impact it has on their
personality and values. The school should also make available programs, like a workshop on
“Parenting 101” and a talk about the adolescents and common problems they encounter, This would
assist parents in developing effective parenting skills and understanding their children better.
The adolescent should accept the importance of their parents and other family members and
recognize that a good relationship with these significant people greatly contribute to their well being.
They should also identify the kind of attachment they have with their parents and reflect on how it
has affected them as persons so that they could start to make changes in their relationships if
necessary.
The government should come up with laws that will encourage parents to perform their duties as
responsible and loving parents to their children. They should also encourage the media to seriously
help in disseminating information about responsible parenting thru movies, television shows, radio
programs, and even through networking sites. This could be done by featuring more shows, programs
or sites that encourages positive family relationship and responsible behaviour among adolescents.