Pages: 32-36

Abstract

The present study deals with the effects of attachment styles and personality characteristics of mothers on anxiety in gifted adolescents. The study is a descriptive-survey research and the study population included all the gifted high school students in 2016-2017 academic years. Out of the study population, 120 gifted high school students were selected using Cochran formula based on a purposive and convenience method. Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-Adolescents Restructured was distributed amongst the girls and Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-Adults Restructured and Bartholomew’s attachment styles were administered to the mothers. The central tendency, scattering and distribution indices were calculated and multivariate regression model was utilized to predict anxiety through personality characteristics and attachment styles of the mothers. The study results indicated that amongst attachment styles, there is a significant relationship between “avoidant attachment style” and “anxious attachment style” of the mothers with the anxiety in gifted adolescents in α=0.01 and α=0.05 levels, respectively. Also, amongst the mothers’ personality characteristics, a significant relationship was found between threefold impairment (clinical, physical and cognitive), internalization, externalization, interpersonal, interests and pathology of the mothers’ personalities with anxiety in the gifted adolescents in α=0.01 level.