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Article
The Role of Attachment in Language Brokering and Psychological Well-being among College Students
Journal of Family Issues
  • Robert S. Weisskirch, California State University, Monterey Bay
  • Shu-Sha Angie Guan, California State University, Northridge
  • Vanja Lazarevic, San Diego State University
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
3-13-2020
Abstract

Emerging adult (EA), college students from immigrant families continue engaging in language brokering (LB), translating documents and other media for their parents, in ways that can affect their well-being. For these language brokers, the relationship between parental attachment and psychological well-being may be through frequency and perceptions of their LB work. In this study, 459 language brokers (Mage = 21.36, Female = 80%) completed an online questionnaire about frequency and perceptions of LB, attachment, and psychological well-being. Attachment anxiety and avoidance had negative indirect effects on anxiety and somatic symptoms through feelings of LB burden. Attachment anxiety had a negative indirect effect on somatic symptoms through LB intrusiveness. There were negative indirect effects of LB burden on attachment avoidance to anxiety and somatic symptoms. There was a negative indirect effect of LB intrusiveness on attachment avoidance to somatic symptoms. Findings indicate that perceptions of LB may relate to psychological well-being when attachment is insecure.

Comments

Accepted version. Published in Journal of Family Issues, Volume 42, Issue 1, 2021, pp. 156-175, by SAGE Publications. Final publication available via doi: 10.1177/0192513X20910763.

Citation Information
Robert S. Weisskirch, Shu-Sha Angie Guan and Vanja Lazarevic. "The Role of Attachment in Language Brokering and Psychological Well-being among College Students" Journal of Family Issues Vol. 42 Iss. 1 (2020)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/rob-weisskirch/44/