The impact of adult attachment and parental rearing on subjective well-being in Chinese late adolescents

In this study the relationships between attachment to parents, parental rearing, and adolescent subjective well-being were investigated. A total of 448 senior high school students completed the Adult Attachment Relationship Questionnaire (RQ; Bartholomew & Horowitz, 1991), the Experiences in Close Relationships Scale (ECR; Brennan, Clark, & Shaver, 1998), EMBU (Egna Minnen av Barndoms Uppfostran, or “Own memories of parental rearing”), the Index of Well-Being (IWB) and the Face Subjective Well-Being (FSWB; Andrews & Withey, 1976). The results suggested that the subjective well-being of securely attached adolescents was higher than that of insecurely attached adolescents. Avoidance of parents negatively predicted adolescents’ subjective well-being. Maternal punishment was negatively associated with Chinese adolescents’ subjective well-being. However, paternal care and warm emotion, as well as paternal overprotection, were positively associated with Chinese adolescents’ subjective well-being. Furthermore, maternal negative rearing and paternal positive rearing predicted male adolescents’ subjective well-being.