Separation-Individuation, Family Cohesion, and Adjustment to College: Measurement Validation and Test of a Theoretical Model

We examined the relation between adolescent separation-individuation, family cohesion, and college adjustment. A large sample of college students was split into two groups. One group was used to determine whether several measures of separation-individuation were measuring different dimensions of individuation. Two related factors, labeled Positive Separation Feelings and Independence From Parents, emerged from an exploratory factor analysis of the measures. A theoretical model, derived from psychodynamic and family systems perspectives of separation-individuation, was tested on the second group of subjects. The model specified that college adjustment would be predicted by family cohesion, positive separation feelings, and independence from parents. The results indicated that the Positive Separation Feelings factor was a better predictor of college adjustment than Independence From Parents or Family Cohesion.