Attachment to Teacher – Rochester Youth Development Study

Abstract

The Attachment to Teacher scale is a brief, five-item instrument developed by Smith, Lizotte, Thornberry, and Krohn (1995) as part of the Rochester Youth Development Study (RYDS). This tool is designed to quantitatively assess the strength and quality of the emotional bond and respect that youth feel toward their educators. It measures the extent to which a teacher serves as a positive, supportive adult figure in the life of a young person.

The instrument’s utility lies in its application within research focused on developmental psychology, particularly in identifying protective factors that mitigate the risk of high-risk behaviors, such as delinquency and drug use. It is highly useful for evaluating the efficacy of school-based intervention and mentoring programs aimed at fostering strong youth-adult relationships.

Keywords

Teacher Attachment, School Engagement, Youth Development, Protective Factors, Mentoring, Attachment Theory, Rochester Youth Development Study, Delinquency Prevention, Personal Attitudes and Beliefs.

Authors

Smith, C., Lizotte, A.J., Thornberry, T.P., Krohn, M.D.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Attachment to Teacher scale is to provide a concise measure of the perceived social support and emotional closeness that youth experience with their teachers. This measurement helps researchers and practitioners gauge the success of the school environment in providing stable, prosocial adult connections for students, which are critical elements for healthy development.

Specifically, the instrument captures two essential dimensions: the youth’s willingness to seek advice from a teacher on non-academic matters (indicating trust and mentorship potential), and the youth’s intrinsic respect and desire to emulate the teacher (indicating positive role modeling and attitude internalization).

Construct

The scale measures the psychological construct of Teacher Attachment, which is defined as a positive relational bond characterized by closeness, respect, and trust between a student and an educator. This construct is situated within the broader framework of Attachment Theory, emphasizing the importance of non-parental adult figures in providing security and serving as a secure base during adolescence.

In the context of resilience research, strong teacher attachment is conceptualized as a significant protective factor that buffers the negative effects of environmental stressors. The items target both affective components (feeling close) and cognitive components (respect and emulation) of this crucial bond.

Validity

While specific psychometric validation studies dedicated solely to this brief subscale are often integrated into larger research reports, the measure demonstrates strong construct validity due to its consistent use in predicting outcomes related to school engagement and reduced externalizing behavior. Empirically, high scores on Teacher Attachment are consistently correlated with higher academic achievement and lower rates of substance use and delinquency, aligning with theoretical expectations.

The content of the items covers essential aspects of adult bonding—advice-seeking, emotional closeness, and role model identification—suggesting robust content validity for the domain of youth-teacher relationships. Its inclusion in comprehensive assessment batteries, such as those compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), further affirms its recognized utility in violence and youth development research.

Reliability

Specific reliability coefficients (e.g., Cronbach’s alpha) for the five-item scale are typically reported within individual research papers utilizing the RYDS methodology. As a brief measure, internal consistency may vary depending on the sample characteristics, but its proven track record in longitudinal studies suggests acceptable levels of reliability for measuring this specific protective factor in youth populations.

Researchers are strongly encouraged to document the internal consistency of the scale when applying it to populations outside the original middle school sample to ensure the robustness of its psychometric properties. The standardized nature of its scoring methodology contributes to reliable administration across different research settings.

Factor Analysis

The Attachment to Teacher scale is fundamentally designed as a unidimensional measure. It is intended to capture a single, overarching factor representing the quality and strength of the student’s bond with their teacher. While formal factor analysis may be performed to confirm this structure, the simplicity and coherence of the five items strongly support its interpretation as a measure of a singular construct of attachment.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report questionnaire / Behavioral Attitude Scale

Format: Five items utilizing a mixed response format (four items use a 4-point Likert-type scale; one item uses a 3-point categorical scale).

Language Available: English (Original)

Population Group: Youth / Adolescents

Age Group: Primarily middle school age youth (approximately 11-14 years old), but adaptable for wider adolescent ranges.

Population Details: Developed within the context of the Rochester Youth Development Study, often targeting high-risk urban youth for the assessment of resilience and protective factors.

Test Methodology: Responses are summed after appropriate recoding (where necessary) and then divided by the number of items to achieve an average score. Higher scores indicate a greater attachment to the teacher.

Keywords

School and Academics, Personal Attitudes and Beliefs, Resilience, Youth Mentoring, Social Bonding, Delinquency Prevention, Psychometric Properties, Teacher-Student Relationship.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: N/A

Affiliation Email addresses: N/A

Correspondence Address: N/A (Refer to original 1995 publication for institutional affiliations)

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The scale was developed in 1995. This instrument is typically considered non-proprietary and is often used freely in academic research, especially since it originated from publicly documented longitudinal studies. The scale is contained within the comprehensive resource, Measuring Violence-Related Attitudes, Behaviors, and Influences Among Youths: A Compendium of Assessment Tools.

Reference’s

• Smith‚ C.‚ Lizotte‚ A.J.‚ Thornberry‚ T.P.‚ & Krohn‚ M.D. (1995). Resilient youth: identifying factors that prevent high-risk youth from engaging in delinquency and drug use. In: Hagan‚ J. (ed.)‚ Delinquency and disrepute in the life course. Greenwich‚ CT: JAI Press‚ 217-247.

• The instrument can be found on page 72 of Measuring Violence-Related Attitudes‚ Behaviors‚ and Influences Among Youths: A Compendium of Assessment Tools. The original PDF can be downloaded here: http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/YV_Compendium.pdf.

• Additional documentation link: http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED486261.pdf.

Items of the Attachment to Teacher- Rochester Youth Development Study

Scale Items:

1. If you needed advice on something other than school work‚ you would go to one of your teachers.
2. You feel very close to at least one of your teachers.
3. You don’t care what your teachers think of you.
4. You have lots of respect for your teachers.
5. Thinking of the teacher you like the most‚ would you like to be like him or her?

Scoring Methodology:

Items 1-4 utilize the following 4-point response scale:

• Strongly agree = 1
• Agree = 2
• Strongly disagree = 3
• Disagree = 4

Item 5 utilizes the following 3-point categorical scale:

• In some ways = 1
• In most ways = 2
• Not at all = 3

Point values are summed for each respondent and then divided by the number of items (5). Higher scores indicate a greater attachment to the teacher.