This study assesses interpersonal acceptance-rejection theory’s (IPARTheory’s) prediction that adults’ (both men’s and women’s) remembrances of parental (both maternal and paternal) rejection in childhood are likely to be associated with adults’ fear of intimacy, as mediated by adults’ psychological maladjustment and relationship anxiety. The study also assesses the prediction that these associations will not vary significantly by gender, ethnicity, language, culture, or other such defining conditions. To test these predictions a sample of 3,483 young adults in 13 nations responded to the mother and father versions of the Adult Parental Acceptance-Rejection Questionnaire (short forms), Adult Personality Assessment Questionnaire (short form), the Interpersonal Relationship Anxiety Questionnaire, the Fear of Intimacy Scale, and the Revised Personal Information Form. Results of multigroup analyses showed that adults’ remembrances of both maternal and paternal rejection in childhood independently predicted men’s and women’s fear of intimacy in all 13 countries. However, remembered maternal rejection was a significantly stronger predictor of adults’ fear of intimacy than was remembered paternal rejection. Results also confirmed the prediction in all 13 countries and across both genders that both maternal and paternal rejection independently predicted adults’ psychological maladjustment and relationship anxiety, which in turn predicted fear of intimacy. In addition, psychological maladjustment partially mediated the relation between remembrances of maternal and paternal rejection, and adults’ fear of intimacy in all 13 countries and both genders.

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This article explored relationships between perceived maternal and paternal acceptance, parental power and prestige, and young adults’ psychological adjustment in Poland. The sample consisted of 200 college students (38% men) ages 20 through 22 (M = 21.10). The measures used were the child versions of the Parental Acceptance–Rejection Questionnaire for mothers and fathers, the youth version of the Parental Power–Prestige Questionnaire, and the adult version of the Personality Assessment Questionnaire. Results showed that maternal and paternal acceptance were significantly and positively correlated with offspring’s psychological adjustment. Furthermore, fathers’ high power and prestige were positively correlated with women’s psychological adjustment, whereas mothers’ high power was positively correlated with men’s adjustment. However, hierarchical regression analyses showed that only paternal (but not maternal) acceptance was a unique predictor of women’s psychological adjustment as well as of men’s adjustment. The regression analysis also suggests that the less power–prestige fathers had relative to mothers (beyond the point where both parents were perceived to be approximately equal in power and prestige), the better was men’s adjustment. No significant moderating effects were found.

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