Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment [IPPA-25]

Description

The Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment (IPPA-25) is a self-report instrument designed to assess the quality of adolescents’ attachment relationships with parents and close friends. It focuses on adolescents’ positive and negative beliefs, thoughts, and feelings regarding these relationships, with particular emphasis on the extent to which they provide a sense of psychological security.

The instrument is theoretically grounded in attachment theory, originally formulated by John Bowlby and subsequently developed through later psychological and developmental research.

Main Dimensions

The IPPA assesses three broad dimensions of attachment:

Mutual Trust: reflects the degree of trust, acceptance, and emotional security experienced within the relationship.

Quality of Communication: evaluates the extent to which communication with the mother, father, or friends is open, supportive, and effective.

Anger and Alienation: assesses feelings of distance, frustration, anger, or lack of understanding within the relationship.

Structure of the Instrument

The original version of the IPPA consisted of 28 parent items and 25 peer items, producing two overall attachment scores.

The revised Mother, Father, and Peer Version separately assesses perceived attachment to mothers and fathers. It includes 25 items for the mother, 25 items for the father, and 25 items for peers, producing three distinct attachment scores.

Scoring

Responses are provided using a 5-point Likert-type scale.

Scores can be calculated separately for the three main dimensions of:

  • Mutual Trust
  • Quality of Communication
  • Anger and Alienation

These dimensions are assessed independently for the mother, father, and friends, allowing the calculation of separate total attachment scores for each relationship.

Age Range

The original development samples included young people aged 16 to 20 years, although the IPPA has also been successfully used in studies involving adolescents as young as 12 years old.

Research Applications

The IPPA-25 can be used in developmental psychology, adolescent psychology, family research, and studies of interpersonal relationships.

It is particularly useful for examining the relationship between attachment quality and variables such as psychological well-being, self-esteem, emotional regulation, social adjustment, family relationships, and peer support.

Conclusion

The IPPA-25 provides a structured and multidimensional assessment of adolescents’ perceived attachment to significant people in their social environment. By separately evaluating relationships with the mother, father, and friends, the instrument offers a broader understanding of the emotional security and interpersonal support available to adolescents and young adults..