The Role of Attachment Styles and Communication Skills in Predicting Nursing and Medical Students’ Perception of Elder Abuse

Figures & data

Table 1 Comparison of the Mean Score of Student’s Perception of Elder Mistreatment as Abusiveness or Typicality

Abuse Subscales	Nursing Student	Medical Student	Total	p-value*
	Mean SD	Mean SD	Mean SD
Abusiveness of physical abuse	21.8 (4.44)	21.6 (4.87)	21.7 (4.74)	0.748
Abusiveness of physical neglect	21.9 (4.82)	21.7 (4.79)	21.8 (4.79)	0757
Abusiveness of Psychological abuse	24.1 (5.47)	24.7 (5.10)	24.5 (5.22)	0.314
Abusiveness of psychological neglect	21.8 (4.53)	22 (5.10)	21.9 (4.93)	0.757
Abusiveness of financial abuse	23.2 (5.49)	23.9 (5.61)	23.7 (5.58)	0.299
Judgment of abusiveness (Total abuse)	112.9 (22.1)	114 (22.8)	113.6 (22.5)	0.653
Typicality of physical abuse	14.1 (3.89)	13.4 (4.79)	13.6 (4.54)	0.126
Typicality of physical neglect	15.8 (4.86)	16.5 (4.97)	16.3 (4.94)	0.195
Typicality of psychological abuse	13.9 (5.52)	13.9 (5.13)	13.9 (5.25)	0.928
Typicality of psychology neglect	15.6 (4.78)	15.9 (4.95)	15.8 (4.90)	0.614
Typicality of financial abuse	13.9 (5.19)	15.5 (5.44)	15 (5.40)	0.010
Judgment of typicality (total score)	73.5 (20.8)	75.1 (21.5)	74.6 (21.2)	0.500

Note: *Independent sample t test.

Table 2 Comparison of Attachment Style Score Between Nursing and Medical Students

Variables	Medical	Nursing	Variables	P-value
	Mean (SD)	Mean (SD)	Mean (SD)
Avoidant	8.86 (2.01)	8.87 (1.97)	8.87 (1.98)	0.974
Secure	13.1 (2.32)	12.6 (2.65)	12.8 (2.57)	0.053
Anxious-Ambivalent	9.26 (3.06)	9.31 (3.08)	9.30 (3.07)	0.879

Note: Independent sample t test.

Table 3 Comparison of Communication Skills Between Nursing and Medical Students

Variables	Medical	Nursing	Variables	P-value
	Mean (SD)	Mean (SD)	Mean (SD)
Communication Skills (Total Score)	109.5 (8.20)	109 (8.58)	109.2 (8.46)	0.638
Understanding verbal and nonverbal message	30.5 (3.06)	29.9 (3.32)	30 (3.25)	0.099
Emotional regulation	27.9 (3.20)	28.6 (3.34)	28.4 (3.31)	0.072
Listening skill	20 (2.38)	19.4 (2.59)	19.6 (2.54)	0.035
Insight to the communication process	16.8 (2.07)	16.5 (2.41)	16.6 (2.54)	0.135
Assertiveness	14.2 (2.09)	14.7 (2.31)	14.5 (2.25)	0.058

Note: Independent sample t test.

Table 4 Correlations Between Student’s Attachment Style and Their Judgment of Elder Mistreatment as Abusiveness (n =397)

Variables	Total	Physical Abuse	Physical Neglect	Psychological Abuse	Psychological Neglect	financial Abuse
Avoidant	0.139**	0.065	0.106*	0.180**	0.127*	0.149**
Secure	0.205**	0.166**	0.173**	0.146**	0.235**	0.195**
Ambivalent style	−0.043	−0.030	−0.041	−0.018	−0.074	−0.016
Communication	0.220**	0.108*	0.178**	0.197**	0.203**	0.277**

Notes: *p < 0.05; **p < 0.01.

Table 5 Correlations Between Student’s Attachment Style and Their Judgment of Elder Mistreatment as Typicality (n =397)

Variables	Total	Physical Abuse	Physical Neglect	Psychological Abuse	Psychological Neglect	Financial Abuse
Avoidant	−0.122*	−0.087	−0.105*	−0.136**	−0.120*	−0.058
Secure	−0.030	0.021	−0.023	−0.058	−0.014	−0.077
Ambivalent	0.073	0.098	0.045	0.044	0.051	0.058
Communication skills	−0.033	0.023	0.010	−0.063	−0.021	−0.107*

Notes: *p < 0.05; **p < 0.01.

Table 6 Prediction Role of Attachment Style and Communication Skill in the Student’s Judgment of Elder Mistreatment as Abusive or Typicality

Variables	B	SE	β	P- value	R Square
Judgment of mistreatment as abusiveness	39.5	14.5	-	0.007	0.086
Avoidant	1.72	0.571	0.151	0.003
Secure	1.5	0.473	0.174	0.001
Communication Skills	0.359	0.143	0.135	0.012
Judgment of mistreatment as typicality	89.3	4.93	-	0.000	0.015
Avoidant	−1.31	0.542	−0.122	0.016