“Why Did You Want to See Me?”: Teachers’ Reactions to a Student’s Request as a Function of Teachers’ Personal Early Experiences of Attachment

Introduction. This study analyzes the relationship between teachers’ parenting experiences and their emotional, cognitive and behavioral reactions to a hypothetical student’s request to speak to them, expressed in short or detailed from. Method. This research is using the Perrine and King procedure, which was originally intended for students, and was modified for teachers. Self-report questionnaires were administered to a sample of 395 female teachers. Results. The results showed a significant relationship between a teacher’s parental bonding experiences and their behavioral and emotional reactions to students’ requests. The optimal parenting group reported more positive emotional and behavioral reactions, while the Affectionate control group presented more negative emotional responses than the other groups. Discussion. Our contribution could suggest to include an ample space for reflection on teachers’ personal histories, as they have been elaborated by themselves, and on the influence that the latter could have on expectations and interpretations of students’ behavior.