Life Science Journal 2014;11(10) http://www.lifesciencesite.com 63 The mediating role of anxiety to perform social skills between parental attachment and adolescents’ self- efficacy Nakisa Parsa 1 , Ma’rof Redzuan 2 , Siti Nor Yaacob 1 , Parisa Parsa 3 & Bita Parsa 4 1 Department of Human Development & Family Studies Family, Faculty of Human Ecology, University Putra Malaysia (UPM), Malaysia 2 Department of Social and Development Sciences, Faculty of Human Ecology, University Putra Malaysia (UPM), Malaysia 3 Research Center for Chronic Diseases Care at Home, Department of Mother and Child Health, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran. 4 Department of Human Resource Development, Faculty of Educational Studies, University Putra Malaysia (UPM), Malaysia Nakisa15@yahoo.com Abstract: The present study examined the mediating role of adolescent’s anxiety to perform social skills on the relationships between perceived parental attachment and self-efficacy among 374 Iranian adolescents aged 17 to 19 years old. Survey results showed that parental attachment was significantly related to an adolescent’s self-efficacy (p<0.05). Moreover, the results revealed that adolescents with low self-efficacy experienced higher anxiety to perform social skills (p<0.05). Anxiety to perform social skills mediated the relationship between parental attachment and adolescents’ self-efficacy (p<0.05). The findings highlighted the mediating role of anxiety to perform social skills on the relationship between parental attachment and adolescent’s self-efficacy. [Nakisa Parsa, Ma’rof Redzuan, Siti Nor Yaacob, Parisa Parsa & Bita Parsa. The mediating role of anxiety to perform social skills between parental attachment and adolescents’ self-efficacy. Life Sci J 2014;11(10):63-70]. (ISSN:1097-8135). http://www.lifesciencesite.com . 11 Keywords: parental attachment, self-efficacy, anxiety to perform social skills, adolescence. 1. Introduction Adolescence is a vital time between childhood to adulthood with many changes such as biological, emotional, cognitive and social expectations (Arnett, 2004; Parsa & Bashirian, 2013; Santrock, 2007). General self-efficacy is one of the skills adolescents can use in dealing with problems. Adolescents with high self-efficacy practice a small amount of anxiety during this developmental period (Caprara, et al., 2003) and showed better psychological and physical health, coping skills and educational achievement (Luszczynska et al., 2005). However, a small number of researches have examined the predecessor of general self-efficacy among late adolescents (Endler et al., 2001). Self-efficacy defines as a person’s beliefs of capabilities to performance in a certain manner to attain certain goals (Bandura, 1997; Ormrod, 2006). Healthy human functioning contributes to the key cognitive process of self-efficacy. Self-efficacy plays a significant role in adolescent’s effort and resilience in encountering difficulties. The self-perception of a capability is helpful for an adolescent to make a plan and pursue it till the goal is achieved (Choi, 2003; Pajares & Schunk, 2002). Therefore an adolescent with a high sense of self-efficacy is moving towards complicated tasks as test to be accomplished rather than as pressure to keep him/her away from. On the other hands, individual with low self-efficacy stays away from complex tasks and hesitates about their ability. They have little ambition to pursue their goals and exhibit more anxiety (Langendorfer et al., 2006). One of the most influencial factors on adolescent’s self-efficacy is the role of parents. The family is the first place of building self-efficacy on belief and it develops as the child’s peer interaction increases and social life enlarges. Bandura (1986) revealed four elements of mastery experiences, vicarious experiences, symbolic experience, physiological and emotional arousal are help in the development of a sense of self-efficacy. Parents providing and engaging in social interaction may link to vicarious experiences and symbolic experiences. Parents as working model show children how to represent themselves and organize their relationships with others (Bowlby, 1982). Encouraging early parent-child relationship functions in environment that shows appreciation, provides emotional support and guidance, models constructive styles of coping, encourages engagement with children's ability and activities provide trust, competencies and self- efficacy beliefs in children and give varied and several chance for comprehensive skills. These beliefs of capability are essential as children move to different stages of development in finding ways of coping with the stress involved in these steps.