Vínculo de apego, estilos parentales y empatía en adolescentes / Attachment, parental styles and empathy in adolescent

RESUMEN

Resumen El objetivo de la presente investigación fue estudiar las relaciones entre la percepción del vínculo del apego, de las relaciones parentales y los aspectos cognitivos y emocionales de la empatía en un grupo de adolescentes. Se utilizaron los formatos para madre y padre de las adaptaciones argentinas de la Escala de Seguridad de Kerns y de la versión abreviada del Inventario de la percepción de los hijos acerca de las relaciones con sus padres para adolescentes (CRPBI; subescalas aceptación, control patológico y autonomía extrema). Se utilizó como medida de empatía, la validación argentina del Índice de Reactividad Interpersonal (componente cognitivo Toma de Perspectiva y Fantasía; componente emocional Preocupación Empática y Malestar Personal). Los varones manifestaron menores puntajes totales en el IRI respecto de las mujeres (p ≤ .001). Los adolescentes que experimentaron un apego alto hacia su madre y padre percibieron más aceptación en la relación parental con ellos (p ≤ .001; p ≤ .001) y presentaron mayor empatía (p= .018; p= .016). Al igual que los adolescentes que percibieron un estilo parental caracterizado por la aceptación con su madre y padre (p= .008; p= .001). Experimentar un apego seguro en la adolescencia podría depender de percibir una relación interpersonal con los progenitores basada en la aceptación de su individualidad e implicación positiva. El establecimiento de un vínculo de apego seguro y percibir la aceptación como práctica parental permite el desarrollo de la empatía.

ABSTRACT

Abstract The aim of this investigation was to study the relationship among the perception of attachment, parenting relationships, and emotional and cognitive aspects of empathy in a group of adolescents. In order to measure adolescents' perception of the relationship with their parents we used the formats for mother and father of the Argentinean adaptations (1) Kerns' safety scale, and (2) the abbreviated version of the Children's Report on Parent Behavior (CRPBI); subscales acceptance, pathological control and extreme autonomy. The Argentine validation of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (cognitive component Taking Perspective and Fantasy, emotional component Empathic Concern and Personal Distress) was used as the empathy measure. Considering the total score obtained on the Kerns safety scale, respect to the maternal and paternal figures, high attachment perception groups (mean ≥ + 1 SD) and low attachment perception groups (mean ≤ - 1 SD) were formed. Correlations between parental styles and empathy with the Spearman test were evaluated. Mean comparisons were made with the Mann Whitney U test on the one hand, between gender and empathy; on the other, among adolescents who perceived a low and high attachment with both parents in relation with empathy and parental styles. Males reported lower total IRI scores in the subscales fantasy, empathic concern and personal distress (respectively p ≤ .001; p ≤ .001; p ≤ .001; p ≤ .001) as compared to adolescent women. The females that experienced a high attachment towards their parents perceived higher acceptance rate in the relationship with them (p ≤ .001; p ≤ .001). They also showed higher empathy (p = .018; p = .016) and obtained higher scores in the dimensions of the IRI perspective taking (p ≤ .001; p = .006) and empathic concern (p = .024; p = .022). The adolescents who perceived a more tolerant parenting style showed themselves more empathic (p = .008; p = .001). In addition, the parental style of extreme autonomy with their mother and their father was negatively associated with the total scores of the IRI (p = .006, p ≤ .001), fantasy (p = .011; p = .017) and empathic concern (p ≤ .001; p ≤ .001). Parents with less years of schooling use parenting practices based on punitive and coercive control. The female gender was characterized by an empathic emotional response, although both genders have a similar cognitive ability to understand or take the perspective of the other. However, women react more affectively. These differences can be attributed to socialization stereotyped patterns of male and female parenting that assign to women greater emotional sensitivity. Experiencing a secure attachment in adolescence may depend on perceiving an interpersonal relationship with parents based on the acceptance of their individuality and positive involvement. These results match with several investigations, which show that parents perceived as available and with democratic parenting styles, based on the acceptance of adolescents, establish with their children a secure attachment bond, which is associated with a greater psychosocial adjustment. Experiencing a relationship based on acceptance, on affective and committed reciprocity with significant adults that show first empathy and emotional attunement with their children, is a requisite for adolescents to understand the perspective of others and identify with experience, to feel compassion and concern the discomfort of others. Establishing a secure attachment bond and perceiving acceptance as a parental practice allows the development of empathy, protective factor of aggression and promoter of adolescent prosocial behavior.