Parental representations and attachment style as predictors of support-seeking behaviors and perceptions of support in an academic counseling relationship

The role of parental representations and attachment style as predictors of support-seeking behaviors and perceptions of support in the context of an academic counseling relationship was investigated. Prior to participation in a 10-hour academic counseling program in college, 91 students completed scales assessing perceptions of their current relationship with their parents and their attachment style. Students' support-seeking behaviors and counselors' sensitivity. as reported by both participants (students and counselors), were evaluated twice during the counseling process, and general feelings of support were evaluated at the end of the program. Parental representations and attachment style both predicted students' support-seeking behaviors and perceptions of support in counseling. The strength of the prediction differed as a function of time of measurement and source of evaluation. In addition, student-perceived counselor sensitivity was found to mediate the relation between parental representations and support-seeking behaviors in counseling.