Conference Agenda

Identity development is an important developmental task in adolescence and emerging adulthood. Its antecedents, however, remain understudied. Schema Theory (Young et al., 2003) states that emotional need frustration or support leads to the development of (mal)adaptive schemas and coping styles, which subsequently predict development. In this talk, results from three studies will be presented which link identity development with (mal)adaptive schemas. First, a cross-sectional study in the normal population (N = 700) links identity mainly with attachment-related schemas. Second, In a longitudinal follow-up of this sample, the reciprocal relationship of attachment schemas, coping styles and identity is examined. Finally, the relationship between identity and schemas is assessed in a clinical sample (N = 50) with a history of early life adversity and attachment problems.

Attachment avoidance and attachment anxiety are predicted to display distinct links with self-esteem as downstream expressions of their respective positive versus negative self-models. Yet the empirical base remains inconsistent, obscured by conflicting findings and methodological limitations. To adjudicate this conceptual–empirical tension, we conducted a meta-analysis using two-stage structural equation modelling (TSSEM) to model both attachment dimensions simultaneously and account for their shared variance. Rival models corroborated the unique contribution of each attachment dimension, and moderator analyses evaluated sources of variability. Systematic searches yielded 105 eligible manuscripts with 125 effects. Following dependence-clustering, pooled correlations were based on k = 109 independent clusters (N ≈ 40,124). Results showed that both avoidance and anxiety predicted significant, negative links with self-esteem, (b = -.19, 95% CI [-.23, -.16]) and (b = -.41, 95% CI [-.44, -.38]), respectively. Rival models suggested that avoidance explained substantial unique variance, though anxiety emerged as the more indispensable predictor. Moderator analyses identified anxiety–avoidance covariance as a particularly meaningful moderator, explaining between 24.8–38% of the variance and magnifying negative effects across attachment–self-esteem pairs. Notably, the avoidance–self-esteem link remained significant and negative at negligible covariance. The RQ/RSQ attachment prototypes yielded weaker estimates, yet the avoidance–self-esteem association persisted as a significant negative effect. These findings challenge the traditional positive versus negative self-model dichotomy and support a more graded conceptualisation of attachment-based self-models, in which avoidance and anxiety differ in degree and regulatory function rather than valence, underscoring the importance of modelling attachment system co-activation.

This research brings together the theoretical common ground between a specific (moratorium) ego identity status and anxious attachment and explores the relationship between the two empirically. It builds upon existing literature around ego identity statuses, attachment styles and psychosocial developmental theory and investigates the types of relationship difficulties experienced by Turkish young people.

To this aim I conducted two related studies, resulting in original quantitative and qualitative research findings. In Study 1 I explored the relationship between ego identity status categories and attachment styles, and between specific ego identity status categories and specific (anxious or avoidant) attachment styles. The findings led to Study 2, with a narrowed down sample group demonstrating moratorium ego identity status and anxious attachment styles. I was able to conduct an in-depth exploration of the particular kinds of relationship and attachment difficulties that they experienced.

Overall, the research findings demonstrated a significant relationship between ego identity statuses and attachment anxiety, and moratorium ego identity status and anxious attachment in particular. The key relational issues that emerged from my qualitative study included; different affection styles, power struggles, family intrusiveness, intrusiveness of the partner, perceived clinginess of the partner, dominance in terms of controlling behaviour, and cultural/religious differences. These findings offer a nuanced picture of how these young adults struggle with their romantic relationships in the context of autonomy and conflict.

This research makes original contributions to existing knowledge about the interaction of moratorium ego identity status and attachment anxiety during emerging adulthood through empirical findings by combining a qualitative approach with a quantitative methodology. This study also builds upon existing work by engaging with five groups of ego identity status. It adds to our understanding of how transitional ego identity status is a useful category of thought and documents this phenomenon within the Turkish context.

Section 1: Introduction

Recent estimates suggest that 1 in 5 children have a diagnosable mental health disorder (Newlove-Delgado et al., 2023). Early deficiencies in executive functions (EF) are implicated in the nascence of mental illness. Parenting interventions delivered during the first three years are increasingly recognized as a critical policy lever to prevent child mental health challenges from becoming entrenched (Ramchandani et al., 2025). Yet, early caregiving interventions with proven effects on child EF are rare.

Section 2: Aim of the Study

The current study contributes to this literature by evaluating whether a brief, sensitive caregiving program, the Video-Feedback Intervention for Positive Parenting and Sensitive Discipline (VIPP-SD) (1) improved young children’s executive function and self-regulation skills at 24 month follow-up and (2) whether effects were moderated by child behavioral symptoms or program dosage.

Section 3: Materials and Methods

Data was drawn from Healthy Start Happy Start, a pragmatic, two-arm, randomized controlled trial delivered across seven National Health Services sites in the U.K. Participants included 300 families, with children between 12 to 36 months. Child behavior symptoms were collected at baseline and 5-months. Three observational measures of EF (Early Years Toolbox) were collected at 24-month-follow-up.

Section 4: Results and Conclusions

Children whose caregivers received VIPP-SD outperformed control children on two measures of executive function at 24-months, including inhibitory control (β=0.09, 95%CIs 0.04 to 0.15) and effortful control (OR=1.69, 95%CIs 1.01 to 2.83). No evidence of an effect was found for cognitive flexibility (OR=0.90, 95%CIs 0.53 to 1.53). Further, there was no evidence of effect modification by any moderators. Findings provide the first evidence to date that parenting programs delivered during the first three years can longitudinally improve multiple measures of child EF.