Relation between Maternal and Adolescent Attachment Mediated by Parenting in West and East Poland

Mechanisms of attachment insecurity development refer to parenting and are evidenced to be culture-dependent. Cultural differences in Poland are delineated by historical influences of German and Russian cultures and reflected in long-lasting social and economic differences between East and West regions of Poland. Using the framework of ecological model of intergenerational transmission of attachment the present study aimed to analyze moderating effects of culture on relations between maternal and adolescent attachment mediated by maternal parenting control/coercion, acceptance and rejection. The Adult Attachment scale and Parental Acceptance -Rejection Questionnaire were used in a sample of 575 adolescents and their mothers. Socio-historical perspective was used to define culture as individual residence of informants in East or West Poland. Results reviled that region of Poland moderated relations under scrutiny. Relation between maternal and adolescent’s attachments was mediated by parenting quality of mothers only in West but not in East Poland. Relations between maternal attachment, parenting and adolescent’s attachment in East Poland were scarce. Results are discussed in terms of social change in Poland and their potential meaning in adolescents’ attachment development across different cultural settings.