| This project explores ways in which attachment style influences the degree of difficulty that adult missionary kids (MKs) report upon return to their country-of-origin. In particular, this study examines the relationship between attachment to parents, attachment to peers in host country, and attachment to peers in the home country on repatriation difficulties. Literature suggests that secure attachment style developed in childhood is related to individuals' difficulties developing relationships in adulthood and comfort exploring a new environment. In addition, technology has facilitated the ease with which MKs can relate to their peer network in America while residing in their host country, leading to the importance of exploring attachment to these peer networks separately.;Participants completed the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment (IPPA; Armsden & Greenberg, 1987) and the Homecomer Culture Shock Scale (HCSS; Fray, 1988). All included participants were 18-23 years of age and had experienced a sojourn of greater than two years. Data were analyzed via multiple regression to identify linear combinations of parent and peer (host/home) attachment that significantly predicted degree of repatriation distress. The results were strongly significant at p. < .001 and the IVs predicted 32.4% of variance in the DV. Secure attachment to parents and peers of the home culture had an indirect relationship with culture shock, while attachment to peers of the host culture had a direct relationship with culture shock. Implications of these findings are discussed. |
