The present study examined the connections among aspiration, depression, anxiety, attachment and stressful life events in a sample of 405 Japanese undergraduate students. At Time1 (T1), participants’ Dysphoric Mood (depression and anxiety rated by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale: HADS), Adult Attachment (rated by the Relationship Questionnaire) and factor-analysis-derived two dimensions of Aspiration (rated by the Aspiration Index) – Agency and Communality Aspirations – were measured. Three months later (Time2 [T2]), participants completed the HADS again and reported the impact of their most negative life event occurring during the interval between T1 and T2. After controlling for the direct path from T1 to T2 Dysphoric Mood, both T1 Dysphoric Mood and low Communality Aspiration predicted insecure Adult Attachment, which predicted the perception of Agency Stress, which in turn predicted T2 Dysphoric Mood. These findings suggest that adolescents’ Communality Aspiration is important in maintaining secure attachment and indirectly subsequent healthy psychological adjustment.
Published in | Psychology and Behavioral Sciences (Volume 3, Issue 5) |
DOI | 10.11648/j.pbs.20140305.14 |
Page(s) | 171-178 |
Creative Commons |
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited. |
Copyright |
Copyright © The Author(s), 2014. Published by Science Publishing Group |
Aspiration, Depression, Anxiety, Stressful Life Events, Adult Attachment
[1] | Armsden, G. C., & Greenberg, M. T. (1987). The Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment: Individual differences and their relationships to psychological well-being in adolescence. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 17, 427-454. |
[2] | Armsden, G. C., McCauley, E., Greenberg, M. T., Burke, P. M., & Mitchell, J. R. (1990). Parent and peer attachment in early adolescent depression. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 18(6), 683-697. |
[3] | Bartholomew, K., &Horowiz, L. M. (1991). Attachment styles among young adults: A test of four-category model. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 61, 226-244. |
[4] | Brown, K. W., Kasser, T., Ryan, R. M., Linley, P. A., &Orzech, K. (2009). When what one has is enough: Mindfulness, financial desire discrepancy, and subjective well-being. Journal of Research in Personality, 43, 727-736. |
[5] | Cattell, R. B. (1996). The screen test for the number of factors. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 1, 245-276. |
[6] | Christensen, E. M., Gjerris, A., Larsen, J. K., Bendtsen, B. B., Larsen, B. H., Rolff, H., et al. (2003). Life events and onset of a new phase in bipolar affective disorder. Bipolar Disorders, 5(5), 356-361. |
[7] | Griffin, D. W., & Bartholomew, K. (1994). The metaphysics of measurement: The case of adult attachment. In: K. Bartholomew, & D. Perlman (Eds.) Advances in Personality Relationship vol. 5 Attachment processes in adulthood. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, pp17-52. |
[8] | Grouzet, F., Kasser, T., Ahuvia, A., Dols, J. M. F., Kim, Y., Lau, S., Ryan, R. M., Saunders, S., Schmuck, P., & Sheldon, K. M. (2005). The structure of goal contents across 15 cultures. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 89, 800-816. |
[9] | Haller, M., &Hadler, M. (2006). How social relations and structures can produce happiness and unhappiness: An international comparative analysis. Social Indicators Research, 75,169-216. |
[10] | Hammen, C. L., Burge, D., Daley, S. E., Davila, J., Paley, B., & Rudolph, K. D. (1995). Interpersonal attachment cognitions and prediction of symptomatic responses to interpersonal stress. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 104, 436-443. |
[11] | Kasser, T., & Ryan, R. M. (1993). A dark side of the American dream: Correlates of financial success as a central life aspiration. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 65, 410-422. |
[12] | Kasser, T., & Ryan, M. R. (1996). Further examining the American dream: Differential correlates of intrinsic and extrinsic goals. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 22, 280-287. |
[13] | Kenny, M. E., Lomax, R., Brabeck, M., & Fife, J. (1998). Longitudinal pathways linking adolescent report of maternal and paternal attachment to psychological wellbeing. Journal of Early Adolescence, 18, 221-243. |
[14] | Kim, Y., Kasser, T., & Lee, H. (2003). Self-concept, aspirations, and well-being in South Korea and the United States. Journal of Social Psychology, 143, 277-290. |
[15] | Kitamura, T. (1993). Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Archives of Psychiatric Diagnostics and Clinical Evaluation, 4, 371-372 (in Japanese). |
[16] | Liu, Q., Nagata, T., Shono, M., & Kitamura, T. (2009). The effects of adult attachment style and negative life events on daily depression: A sample of Japanese university students. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 65, 639-652. |
[17] | Markus, H. R., &Kitayama, S. (1991). Culture and the self: Implications for cognition, emotion, and motivation. Psychological Review, 98, 224-253. |
[18] | Markus, H., &Wurf, E. (1987). The dynamic self-concept: A social psychological perspective. Annual Review of Psychology, 38, 299-337. |
[19] | Massey, E. K., Gebhardt, W. A., &Garnefski, N. (2008). Adolescent goal content and pursuit: A review of the literature from the past 16 years. Developmental Review, 28, 421-460. |
[20] | Matsudaira, T., Igarashi, H., Kikuchi, H., Kano, R., Mitoma, H., Ohuchi, K., & Kitamura, T. (2009). Factor structure of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale in Japanese psychiatric outpatient and student populations. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, 7, 42. |
[21] | Mykletun, A., Stordal, E., & Dahl, A. A. (2001). Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HAD) scale: Factor structure, item analyses and internal consistency in a large population. British Journal of Psychiatry, 179, 540-544. |
[22] | Oishi, S., Diener, E. F., Lucas, R. E., &Suh, E. M. (1999). Cross-cultural variations in predictors of life satisfaction: Perspectives from needs and values. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 25, 980-990. |
[23] | Oishi, S., Schimmack, U., Diener, E., Suh, E. M. (1998). The measurement of values and individualism-collectivism. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 24, 1177-1189. |
[24] | Papini, D. R., &Roggman, L. A. (1992). Adolescent perceived attachment to parents in relation to competence, depression and anxiety: A longitudinal study. Journal of Early Adolescence, 12, 420-440. |
[25] | Petersen, A. C., Sarigiani, P. A., & Kennedy, R. E. (1994). Adolescent depression: Why more girls? Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 20, 247-269. |
[26] | Plagnol, A. C., &Easterlin, R. A. (2008). Aspirations, attainments, and satisfaction: Life cycle differences between American women and men. Journal of Happiness Studies, 9, 601-619. |
[27] | Schermelleh-Engel1, K., Moosbrugger, H., & Müller, H. (2003). Evaluating the fit of structural equation models: tests of significance and descriptive goodness-of-fit measures. Methods of Psychological Research Online, 8, 23-74. |
[28] | Schmuck, P., Kasser, T., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). Intrinsic and extrinsic goals: Their structure and relationship to well-being in German and U.S. college students. Social Indicator Research, 50,225-241. |
[29] | Welzel, C., &Inglehart, R. (2010). Agency, values, and well-being: A human development model. Social Indicators Research, 97,43-63. |
[30] | Zigmond, A. S., &Snaith, R. P. (1983). The Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale. ActaPsychiatricaScandinavica, 67, 361-370. |
APA Style
Toshinori Kitamura, Nobuhiko Kijima, Mika Suzuki Takeuchi, Atsuko Tomoda. (2014). The Aspirations of Japanese Undergraduate Students: Prospective Study on their Effects on Depression and Anxiety and Mediation by Adult Attachment. Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, 3(5), 171-178. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.pbs.20140305.14
ACS Style
Toshinori Kitamura; Nobuhiko Kijima; Mika Suzuki Takeuchi; Atsuko Tomoda. The Aspirations of Japanese Undergraduate Students: Prospective Study on their Effects on Depression and Anxiety and Mediation by Adult Attachment. Psychol. Behav. Sci. 2014, 3(5), 171-178. doi: 10.11648/j.pbs.20140305.14
AMA Style
Toshinori Kitamura, Nobuhiko Kijima, Mika Suzuki Takeuchi, Atsuko Tomoda. The Aspirations of Japanese Undergraduate Students: Prospective Study on their Effects on Depression and Anxiety and Mediation by Adult Attachment. Psychol Behav Sci. 2014;3(5):171-178. doi: 10.11648/j.pbs.20140305.14
@article{10.11648/j.pbs.20140305.14, author = {Toshinori Kitamura and Nobuhiko Kijima and Mika Suzuki Takeuchi and Atsuko Tomoda}, title = {The Aspirations of Japanese Undergraduate Students: Prospective Study on their Effects on Depression and Anxiety and Mediation by Adult Attachment}, journal = {Psychology and Behavioral Sciences}, volume = {3}, number = {5}, pages = {171-178}, doi = {10.11648/j.pbs.20140305.14}, url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.pbs.20140305.14}, eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.pbs.20140305.14}, abstract = {The present study examined the connections among aspiration, depression, anxiety, attachment and stressful life events in a sample of 405 Japanese undergraduate students. At Time1 (T1), participants’ Dysphoric Mood (depression and anxiety rated by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale: HADS), Adult Attachment (rated by the Relationship Questionnaire) and factor-analysis-derived two dimensions of Aspiration (rated by the Aspiration Index) – Agency and Communality Aspirations – were measured. Three months later (Time2 [T2]), participants completed the HADS again and reported the impact of their most negative life event occurring during the interval between T1 and T2. After controlling for the direct path from T1 to T2 Dysphoric Mood, both T1 Dysphoric Mood and low Communality Aspiration predicted insecure Adult Attachment, which predicted the perception of Agency Stress, which in turn predicted T2 Dysphoric Mood. These findings suggest that adolescents’ Communality Aspiration is important in maintaining secure attachment and indirectly subsequent healthy psychological adjustment.}, year = {2014} }
TY - JOUR T1 - The Aspirations of Japanese Undergraduate Students: Prospective Study on their Effects on Depression and Anxiety and Mediation by Adult Attachment AU - Toshinori Kitamura AU - Nobuhiko Kijima AU - Mika Suzuki Takeuchi AU - Atsuko Tomoda Y1 - 2014/11/10 PY - 2014 N1 - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.pbs.20140305.14 DO - 10.11648/j.pbs.20140305.14 T2 - Psychology and Behavioral Sciences JF - Psychology and Behavioral Sciences JO - Psychology and Behavioral Sciences SP - 171 EP - 178 PB - Science Publishing Group SN - 2328-7845 UR - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.pbs.20140305.14 AB - The present study examined the connections among aspiration, depression, anxiety, attachment and stressful life events in a sample of 405 Japanese undergraduate students. At Time1 (T1), participants’ Dysphoric Mood (depression and anxiety rated by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale: HADS), Adult Attachment (rated by the Relationship Questionnaire) and factor-analysis-derived two dimensions of Aspiration (rated by the Aspiration Index) – Agency and Communality Aspirations – were measured. Three months later (Time2 [T2]), participants completed the HADS again and reported the impact of their most negative life event occurring during the interval between T1 and T2. After controlling for the direct path from T1 to T2 Dysphoric Mood, both T1 Dysphoric Mood and low Communality Aspiration predicted insecure Adult Attachment, which predicted the perception of Agency Stress, which in turn predicted T2 Dysphoric Mood. These findings suggest that adolescents’ Communality Aspiration is important in maintaining secure attachment and indirectly subsequent healthy psychological adjustment. VL - 3 IS - 5 ER -