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Attachment in Context: The Role of Demographic Factors Among Indonesians from Three Ethnic Groups

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Abstract

This study examined attachment in Indonesia, one of the fourth most populous countries in the world. We applied the Indonesian version of the Attachment Style Questionnaire (ASQ) on 1313 Indonesians from three ethnically diverse samples (404 Bataks, 430 Minangkabau, and 479 Javanese). We assessed demographic factors which consist of the roles of the living-with-family experience (M = 19.58 years), age (M = 24.34 years old), sex (man = 43.4 %), and ethnicity in attachment dimensions development. Pearson’s correlation analyses revealed negative correlations between the living-with-family experience as well as age and the two attachment dimensions, Need for approval and confirmation by others and Preoccupation with relationships. Group comparison analyses found significant differences for the five scales of ASQ among sex and ethnic groups. We also found a significant main effect of age and ethnicity on some of the ASQ scales.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported in part by research Grants from Atma Jaya Catholic University of Indonesia.

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Correspondence to Zahrasari L. Dewi.

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Dewi, Z.L., Halim, M.S. & Derksen, J. Attachment in Context: The Role of Demographic Factors Among Indonesians from Three Ethnic Groups. J Adult Dev 23, 163–173 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10804-016-9232-y

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