Int. j. econ. manag. soc. sci., Vol(3), No (5), May, 2014. pp.

260-264

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International Journal of Economy, Management and Social Sciences

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ISSN:
2306-7276

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Investigating The Relationship Between Attachment Styles, SelfEfficiency And Academic Performance Of High School Students Of
Zahedan City
Hossein JenaAbadi*
Associate Professor, Department of Education, University of Sistan and Baluchestan, Iran

Mohammad Ali Ahani

MA. in educational management, Department of Education. University of Sistan and Baluchestan, Iran

*corresponding author: hjenaabadi@ped.usb.ac.ir

Keywords

Abstract

High School Students

Academic performance
Attachment Styles,
Self-efficiency
Zahedan city

The present study is aimed at investigating the relationship between attachment styles, and self-efficiency
and academic performance of high school students of Zahedan city. The research method of the present
study is descriptive-correlation. The population in this study includes all the high school students of Zahedan
city in 2012 who were students at the time. The sample size includes 384 individuals which has been
selected in the random sampling method. To collect the data, the adult attachment inventory (AAI) and the
self-efficiency questionnaire of Sharer et al. were used. The results of the study showed that there is a
positive correlation between the academic performance and self-efficiency and that there is a direct and
positive relationship between self-efficiency and secure attachment style but that it has an inverse and
significant relationship with the insecure ambivalent and insecure avoidant attachment styles; and also it
indicated that there is a direct and significant relationship between academic achievement and secure
attachment style but that it doesnt have a significant relationship with ambivalent insecure attachment style
and has an inverse and significant relationship with the avoidant insecure attachment style.

1.

Introduction

During childhood or adolescence, children face a broad range of risks and use their attachment relationships as a secure base for world
discoveries; yet in these ages, the child-parents attachment relationship remains strong during an integrated system of purposeful behavior. At
this age attachment relationships arent undermined in terms of importance. In such a state, the existence of a secure relationship is of high
importance both for children and also for adults. According to Bowlby, at higher ages accessibility of attachment figures is more important than
physical closeness. Here, the issue of deploying cognitive processes is raised; processes such as the belief in the fact that line of communication
with the attachment figures are open and that they can be physically met and eventually that attachment figures can be called for help when
needed [10]. In fact although attachments retain their importance from childhood until adulthood, organizing the attachment behavior and the
nature of attachment relationships varies in tandem with age. Protection and security are attachment indexes in the life span; but the conditions
that activate attachment behavior, kinds of attachment behavior used and the degree of closeness or contact that put an end to attachment
behaviors, vary in tandem with age [14]. Based on numerous observations and studies, three adult attachment styles have been identified which
persist in the quality of childhood relationships: secure attachment style, avoidant attachment style and ambivalent attachment style; but what
variables are related to attachment styles? Identification of these variables helps to the better understanding of attachment and regarding the
attachment nature, the studies which have been so far conducted concerning attachment styles, have been focused on relationship variables such
as the quality of close relations and the style of liking, and cognitive and motivational characteristics have been less focused as correlates of
adult attachment styles. One of these features is self-efficiency. Self-efficiency is considered as the major and basic mechanism in human
cognitive function and refers to peoples views regarding their competences to exercise control over effective life events [11]. In the framework
of Banduras theory of self-efficiency, it is stated that people with strong beliefs regarding their competences strive and persist in doing tasks
compared with people who are uncertain regarding their capabilities, and therefore their performance in doing tasks is better. Many factors have
a part in formation of motivational and cognitive factors. Meanwhile, attachment style as an important factor and its role in formation of selfefficiency can be of high prominence since the basis of the aforementioned features is established since childhood in the form of factors such as
attachment styles; also, as stated before attachment styles are effective in many psychological and motivational variables and adult behaviors [7];
one of these variables can be academic achievement since in many studies it has a correlation with many variables that have indicated to have a
relationship with attachment styles; therefore, according to what has been thus stated, this study is aimed at investigating the relationship
between attachment styles, and self-efficiency and academic achievement. Sarouf (1983) showed in a longitudinal study that secure attachment
to mother in infancy predicts less attachment to the teachers and less hostility to peers in pre-school. In another study, Hazan and Shaver (1990)
showed that people with secure attachment style have more self-esteem, are more affable and feel less lonely compared with people having
ambivalent and anxious attachment style.
Narimani et al (2008) in investigating the relationship between attachment styles and self-efficiency beliefs, and conflict resolution styles among
the coaches in Ardebil Province, realized that there is a positive correlation between the authoritative and avoidant conflict resolution style and
avoidant insecure attachment style. Pinterij and Digerut noted a correlation between self-efficiency and academic achievement i.e. mid-term and
final grades and school assignments. They concluded that self-efficiency acts as a facilitator or mediator in relation with cognitive conflict and
that improvement in self-efficiency may lead to an increase in the application of cognitive strategies and consequently an enhancement in the

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Investigating the Relationship between Attachment Styles, Self-efficiency and Academic performance of High School Students of Zahedan City
International Journal of Economy, Management and Social Sciences Vol(3), No (5), May, 2014.

academic performance [8]. BufardBuchard et al. (1991) realized that students having more self-efficiency compared with other students at any
level of competence have adopted very effective self-regulation strategies; furthermore, self-efficiency enhances the memory performance of
students due to an increase in perseverance and resistance [12].
Pintrij & Garcia have reported that students, who believe that they are competent in doing academic assignments, deploy more cognitive and
metacognitive strategies and apply more perseverance, and persevere more in doing assignments compared with those who dont believe in their
competence. They concluded from these findings that there is a significant relationship between self-efficiency and self-regulation learning
variables and through this it affects academic achievement [8]. Adams investigated the relationship between expectations of self-efficiency and
the academic performance among 208 freshman students. They completed an 11-article self-efficiency scale and a 12-article visual information
questionnaire. The results shows that there is a positive and significant correlation between self-efficiency and academic performance in the first
year of law students and that self-efficiency is a predictor variable of academic achievement in law students [8]. Zimmerman et al(1992)
investigated the relationship between academic self-efficiency and academic achievement using path analysis. They reported that academic selfefficiency directly explains 21% of the variance in academic achievement. [22]
Ferari & Parker investigated the relationship between self-efficiency and locus of control and academic achievement in school, and the academic
performance of students in the first semester of entrance into university. Their subjects were 87 men and 241 women among university students
who filled out the self-report questionnaires regarding self-efficiency and locus of control in the first semester of the faculty and passing their
mid-term courses and their overall average were indicative of their academic performance. The overall average and the number of units passed
were significantly related to the English and Mathematics average of high school and self-efficiency. The correlation between self-efficiency and
mean was 19% which was significant at the 0.01 level [8].
Kinzman investigated the relationship between self-efficiency and the position of goal, and the academic performance of 82 low high school
students in a transitional program. The results indicated that self-efficiency beliefs had a positive and significant correlation with academic
performance and that educational goals had a positive and significant relationship with self-efficiency (but not with academic achievement). The
research findings indicated a relationship between self-efficiency and performance since academic performance was relevant in high competence
students but was irrelevant in low competence students [20]. Tayner investigated the relationship between academic self-efficiency and academic
achievement among 276 students. The data concerning the acceptance status, the high school average and the university average was obtained
from the office of education and the students responded to the self-efficiency scale. The results indicated a significant correlation between
academic self-efficiency and academic achievement [20].
Denton (1998) investigated the relationship between childrens self-efficiency beliefs and teachers views regarding the capabilities of children,
and effort for academic achievement in a sample comprised of first-grade students from eight elementary students; he divided the children into
two high income and low income groups. The results showed that self-efficiency beliefs had a significant relationship with academic
achievement of the low income group and teachers views regarding childrens capabilities were a constant significant predictor of academic
achievement in both (high income and low income) groups [15]. Janice (1996) investigated the relationship between self-efficiency of students,
academic performance and anxiety in exam among 103 students in the first and second stages of high school. He investigated the performance in
the four curriculum areas of mathematics, science, English, and reading; the results indicated a relationship between self-efficiency and
performance in science [17]. Segal in a study compared self-efficiency beliefs, stress, and mental health among male and female students. A
hundred female students and a hundred male students between the ages of 16 to 18 were asked to respond to the PGI scale. Also, they responded
to the Schwartz self-efficiency scale and the stress symptom scale. The results indicated that men attained more self-efficiency grades and
psychosomatic stress. Regarding health, no significant relationship was observed [9].
Fakharinejhad (2006) showed in his study that insecure attachment styles have a relationship with aggression, loneliness, social seclusion,
anxiety, physical symptoms and low self-confidence, and that it is a risk factor for outbreak of mental disorders and problems in adolescence and
youth.
The results of the study by Asgharnejhad (2005) determined that there is a significant relationship between general self-efficiency and academic
achievement, between harnessing position and academic achievement and between general self-efficiency and harnessing position, and that
compared with female students male students have internal harnessing position but this difference is not significant concerning general selfefficiency. The mathematics group had external harnessing position compared with other academic groups but in the field of general selfefficiency no significant difference was observed among them.
Malaki Jahani (2010) in a study entitled the relationship between awareness of life skills and self-efficiency beliefs showed that there is a
significant relationship between university students self-efficiency ,and self-awareness skills, communication, problem resolution, decisionmaking, critical thinking and coping with stress among the dimensions of life skills, and knowledge level and deployment among the levels of
life skills; yet no significant relationship was observed between sympathy, interpersonal, creative thought, coping with emotions and level of
understanding skills, and self-efficiency of university students. Also, among dimensions of life skills only the skills of self-awareness,
communication, decision-making, critical thinking and coping with stress were good predictors for self-efficiency.
Russel and Zalik (2005) realized that ambivalent attachment is a predictor of isolation and low social support among students. Students with
secure attachment style seem to have more social skills facilitating adaptability with the environment [18].
Behzadipour (2005) in a study obtained the following results:
Girls having insecure attachment style (avoidant and anxious/ambivalent) are more concerned about their weights compared with girls with
secure attachment style. Girls with high BMI have more worries regarding weight compared with girls with medium and low BMI. The
interaction between the teenage girls attachment style and their BMI doesnt have a significant effect on the degree of concerns regarding their
weights, and between the average of concern grades related to the weight of people with anxious/ ambivalent and avoidant attachment styles
there is no significant difference.

2.

Research Methodology

The research methodology of the present study is descriptive-correlation. The population in this study includes all the high school students of
Zahedan city who were studying in 2012. The sample size is 384 individuals who have been selected in the random sampling method.
2.1. Evaluation Tools
Adult Attachment Inventory (AAI)
This scale which was constructed by the author based on the attachment test material of Hazan and Shaver (1990) and has been normalized
regarding students in University of Tehran is a two-partite questionnaire. In the first section the three secure, avoidant and ambivalent attachment
styles are distinguished based on 21 questions in the 5-point Likert scale (none=1, low=2, medium=4, very much=5). Cronbachs alpha
coefficient of the questions of each of the subscales of avoidant secure, attachment and anxious-ambivalent regarding a university student sample
(n=240) for all the subjects were respectively 0/85, 0/84, 0/85, for female students 0/86, 0/83, 0/84 and for male students 0/85, 0/84, 0/86 that
implies the internal consistency of AAI.

Hossein Jenaabadi *, Mohammad Ali Ahani

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International Journal of Economy, Management and Social Sciences Vol(3), No (5), May, 2014.

2.2. Self-efficiency Questionnaire

In the present study the efficiency questionnaire of Sharer et al. (1982) was used in order to investigate the self-efficiency beliefs of university
students. The grading method of the self-efficiency questionnaire is such that each article is given one to five scores. In general, this
questionnaire includes 17 articles and the articles 15, 13, 9, 8, 3 are scored from right to left and the rest from left to right.
Berati (1997) has used the split method in order to investigate the reliability of self-efficiency test. The test reliability is obtained by means of the
Spearman-Brown method with equal length as 0.76 and by the Guttman split method as 0.76. Cronbachs alpha with the overall consistency of
students was obtained as 0.79 which is satisfactory. The sample of this study is the third-year high school students. In another study, Keramati
(2001) has used Cronbachs alpha method to obtain reliability and the reliability coefficient has been obtained as 0.85. The research sample has
been the third-year high school students [6]. In the present study the reliability was obtained as 0.70 by Cronbachs alpha method.

3.

Results and discussion

First hypothesis: there is a significant relationship between self-efficiency and academic performance.
Table 1: Pearson test results of H1
Self-efficiency
Pearson Correlation
1
Sig. (2-tailed)
N
384
Pearson Correlation
.383**
Academic achievement
Sig. (2-tailed)
.000
N
384
**. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).
Self-efficiency

Academic
achievement
.383**
.000
384
1
384

The results if the table above indicate that the correlation coefficient of self-efficiency and academic achievement is equal to r=0/38 which is
significant at the 99% confidence level (01/0<p); thus, statistically there is a direct and significant relationship between the two variables of selfefficiency and academic achievement.
Second hypothesis: there is a significant relationship between self-efficiency and secure and avoidant insecure and ambivalent insecure
attachment styles.
Table 2: Pearson test results of H2
Ambivalent
Avoidant insecure
secure
insecure
**
**
Pearson Correlation
-.380
-.569
.493**
Self-efficiency
Sig. (2-tailed)
.000
.000
.000
N
384
384
384
The results of the table above indicate that the correlation coefficient of self-efficiency and secure attachment is equal to r=0.49 which is
significant at the 99% confidence level (01/0<p); thus, statistically there is a direct and significant relationship between the two variables of
academic achievement and secure attachment style.
The results of the table above also indicate that the correlation coefficient of self-efficiency and ambivalent insecure attachment style is equal to
r=-0/38 which is significant at the 99% confidence level (01/0<p); thus, statistically there is an inverse and significant relationship between the
two variables of academic achievement and ambivalent insecure attachment style.
The results of the table above also indicate that the correlation coefficient of self-efficiency and avoidant insecure attachment style is equal to
r=0/56 which is significant at the 99% confidence level (01/0<p); thus, statistically there is an inverse and significant relationship between the
two variables of academic achievement and ambivalent insecure attachment style.
Third hypothesis: there is a significant relationship between academic achievement and secure and avoidant insecure and ambivalent insecure
attachment styles.

Academic
achievement

Table 3. Pearson test results of H3

Academic
Ambivalent
Achievement
Insecure
Pearson Correlation
1
-.077
Sig. (2-tailed)
.347
N
150
150

Avoidant
Insecure
-.310**
.000
150

Secure
.178*
.029
150

The results of the table above also indicate that the correlation coefficient of academic achievement and secure attachment style is equal to
r=0/17 which is significant at the 95% confidence level (01/0<p); thus, statistically there is a direct and significant relationship between the two
variables of academic achievement and secure attachment style.
The results of the table above also indicate that the correlation coefficient of academic achievement and ambivalent insecure attachment style is
equal to r=-0/07 which is significant at the 95% confidence level (05/0<p); thus, statistically there is no significant relationship between the two
variables of academic achievement and ambivalent insecure attachment style.
The results of the table above also indicate that the correlation coefficient of academic achievement and avoidant insecure attachment style is
equal to r=-0/31 which is significant at the 99% confidence level (01/0<p); thus, statistically there is an inverse and significant relationship
between the two variables of academic achievement and ambivalent insecure attachment style.
First hypothesis: there is a relationship between academic performance and self-efficiency.
The results if the study showed that there is a positive correlation between academic performance and self-efficiency; however, this was
investigated as a minor hypothesis and wasnt among the main research hypotheses. This is in line with the findings of Kondori (2002)
Bartholomew and Horowitz(1991), Zimmerman et al (1992), Pajares and Miller (1997), Keramati (2001) and Asgharnejhad (2005); such it is
determined that people who have high self-efficiency and believe in their capabilities, have a better performance in encountering daily

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Investigating the Relationship between Attachment Styles, Self-efficiency and Academic performance of High School Students of Zahedan City
International Journal of Economy, Management and Social Sciences Vol(3), No (5), May, 2014.

challenges and the academic performance isnt an exception either; also, it can be thud assumed that optimal performance in the everyday
assignments of life and also different conditions have led to the creation of positive feedbacks in the person and have eventually caused
improvement and enhancement of self-efficiency and self-esteem of the person; therefore, the fact that we can find a cause-effect relationship
between academic performance and self-efficiency is probably not an easy act and these two variables may be affected as common effect or
cause variables.
Second hypothesis: there is a significant relationship between self-efficiency and secure and avoidant insecure and ambivalent insecure
attachment styles.
The results showed that statistically there is a direct and significant relationship between the two variables of self-efficiency and secure
attachment style, there is an inverse and significant relationship between the two variables of self-efficiency and ambivalent insecure attachment
style, and also there is an inverse and significant relationship between the two variables of self-efficiency and ambivalent insecure attachment
style . This is in line with the results of studies by Fakharinejhad (2007) and Marmarosh & Markin (2007) which are explained in terms of some
probabilities:
one of the functions of the psychoanalytical models is cognitive, emotional and behavioral guide and guidance related to attachment. The
psychoanalytical model which is considered part of the psyche of communicational constructs have a similar action like other cognitive
constructs such as feedbacks, stereotypes and attributes and follow activation principles and are accessible and the type of their model and
another model can meet certain expectations based on these principles; therefore, it can be concluded that attachment style is formed in a person
during the primary relations and besides this forms certain expectations and beliefs in the person regarding itself and one of these beliefs and
expectations is self-efficiency and a person with secure attachment, according to the features that are formed in him/her can be expected to have
high self-efficiency in whom low self-efficiency ambivalent and avoidant insecure attachment styles are formed regarding itself. Then again, as
Colins (1996) pronounces that people with different attachment styles are inclined to select an environment that is in coordination with their
beliefs regarding themselves and others and also by means of orientation in specific information processing people are guided in such a way that
they perceive different incentives such that they are compatible with their psychoanalytical models; then it can be perceived that people with
different attachment styles select an environment that confirm their beliefs regarding themselves and others and surely their beliefs regarding
their efficiency in this will be effective and the same thing will lead to difference in self-efficiency of the three secure, avoidant insecure and
ambivalent insecure attachment styles; based on the theory of psychoanalysis insecure people form negative psychoanalytical models regarding
themselves and others within the framework of attachment to the mother; these psychoanalytical models provide weak self-efficiency grounds in
people with avoidant and ambivalent insecure attachment styles through establishment of the psyche of constructs and negative basic feedbacks
toward the mother and therefore themselves and others. In return, it can be thus assumed that the feature of weak self-efficiency affects insecure
psychoanalytical models and enhancement of constructs and negative feedbacks. This status that is considered the outcome of the low selfefficiency feedback to psychoanalytical models can in turn lead to the expansion and deepening of the avoidant and ambivalent insecure
attachment styles and therefore in this state of high self-efficiency the inverse status of the attached person becomes secure.
Third hypothesis: there is a significant relationship between academic achievement and secure and avoidant insecure and ambivalent insecure
attachment styles.
The results showed that statistically there is a direct and significant relationship between the two variables of academic achievement and secure
attachment style, there is no significant relationship between the two variables of academic achievement and ambivalent insecure attachment
style, and also there is an inverse and significant relationship between the two variables of academic achievement and ambivalent insecure
attachment style. This is in line with the results of studies by Sarouf (1983), Hazan and Shaver (1990) and Narimani et al(2008) and is explained
thus: As Varon et al. (1997) showed quoted by Khanjani (2006) that insecure attachment leads to anxiety disorders and other behavioral and
mental disorders in adulthood. One of the reasons that lead to a significant difference between academic achievement of students having secure
and insecure attachment styles is due to the same disorders that cause academic failure. Therefore, it can be thus argued that the effect of
different attachment styles on academic achievement is through a series of mediating variables.

4.

conclusion

One of the explanations that can be proposed for the result of the present study is the effect that the formation of a certain attachment style has
on features and factors contributing to academic achievement. As noted before, attachment style affects features such as self-esteem and selfconcept and one of the minor components of self-concept concerns academic self-concept. Then it is expected that in children having secure
attachment style according to the features of the positive academic self-concept style and in children with avoidant and ambivalent insecure
attachment styles also, negative academic self-concept to be formed and this contributes to the difference in academic performance of different
attachment styles; therefore, as stated before the most important message that the present study can have for us is that attachment styles can
affect and guide subsequent behaviors in adulthood and this study presented complementary information in line with previous studies and reemphasized the critical role of primary parent-child relations in the behaviors of adulthood. Therefore, when parenting trainings and the method
of parent-child interaction is focused more in educational systems programs, this investment is expected to yield its results in adulthood in
academic performance and some important mental components like self-efficiency.

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