Abstract
This study aimed to clarify the relationship between stress coping skills and the increase in positive affect due to changes in attachment style associated with attachment target transitions during childhood. The attachment targets were mothers (past) and friends (present), respectively. Participants were 550 fifth- and sixth-grade elementary school children. Three self-report questionnaires were administered to the participants to assess the attachment styles with mothers and friends, coping of cognitive reinterpretation (Finding Positive Meaning [FPM] coping), and positive affect. Data were analyzed using the four attachment styles—secure and insecure attachment styles of past and present. Specifically, there are four types of secure and insecure attachment styles: “secure/secure,” “secure/insecure,” “insecure/secure,” and “insecure/insecure.” Consequently, it was proposed that attachment quality in the past might be the foundation. Nonetheless, the present quality may affect the promotion of FPM coping and the increase in positive affect. Based on these findings, we considered the compensating effect of attachment style modifications and the potential for preventive interventions in the educational setting for childhood health adaptation.
https://ror.org/00wejpz79 
