Organization of Parent Knowledge: Compartmentalization and Integration in Adult Child-Parent Relationships

Abstract

Previous research has demonstrated an association between structure of beliefs about romantic partners and feelings for that partner. Here, the structure of college students' beliefs about their parents was linked to distinct types of ongoing parent-child relationships identified by cluster analysis. An integrative structure of mother knowledge was associated with an evaluatively complex type of relationship ("dealing"), characterized by greater liking and closeness and less cooperation and contact. Positive compartmentalization of mother knowledge was associated with mother relationships that were consistently positive ("denying") across different dimensions. In contrast, the most positive father relationships were reported by daughters with evaluatively integrative father structures. Possible reasons for daughters' tendency to integrate father structures and to compartmentalize mother structures are discussed.Keywords parent-child relationships, cognitive structure, compartmentalization, integration, relationship closeness Researchers who study adult relationships suggest a variety of strategies that people use to cope with their partners' negative characteristics and behaviors. For example, partners may distance themselves emotionally or physically (Vangelisti & Young, 2000) or employ cognitively oriented strategies, such as focusing on positive characteristics and ignoring negative ones (Holmes & Boon, 1990;Johnson & Rusbult, 1989). They may even transform negative behaviors into positive ones (e.g., reinterpreting criticism as dedication to detail; Murray & Holmes, 1993).Of particular interest is the role of cognitive organization in relationship strategies (e.g., Agnew, Van Lange, Rusbult, & Langston, 1998;Andersen & Cole, 1990;Baldwin, 1992;Neff & Karney, 2004). Specifically, Showers and colleagues (Showers & Kevlyn, 1999; suggest that strategies for organizing positive and negative beliefs about relationship partners affect how individuals think about partners' negative characteristics and behaviors and predict overall attitudes toward partners and relationship outcomes. In this view, underlying evaluative knowledge structures may either reflect or facilitate other cognitive or behavioral mechanisms. The present study applies the model of evaluative organization of knowledge to parent-child relationships to further our understanding of these cognitiveaffective processes. Showers (1992) first proposed the model to explain how the organization of positive and negative self-attributes is associated with a person's mood and self-esteem. Depending on the overall content and importance of self-knowledge, both compartmentalization and integration may be adaptive ways to structure positive and negative self-views. Showers and colleagues later applied the model to romantic relationships (Showers & Kevlyn, 1999;.One interesting distinction between the models for the evaluative organization of self-versus partner knowledge is the underlying motivation for each. Most individuals are motivated to view themsel...

Self‐Concept Structure and the Quality of Self‐Knowledge

“…To the extent that the most positive self‐aspects are the most important, a person's self‐structure is described as positively integrative; if the most negative self‐aspects are most important, then a person's self‐structure is negatively integrative. In support of the basic model of compartmentalization, multiple studies have found baseline correlations between self‐structure and global mood or self‐esteem, such that positively compartmentalized individuals report more positive mood and higher self‐esteem than do positively integrative individuals, whereas negative integratives have less negative mood and higher self‐esteem than do negatively compartmentalized individuals (e.g., Ditzfeld & Showers, ; Limke & Showers, ; Showers, ; Showers & Kevlyn, ; Showers & Kling, ).…”

Angel or demon? Self-monitoring differences in the mental representations of current versus former romantic partners

“…Both of these goals (accuracy, vigilance) might be especially valuable to individuals who need to predict when a partner might engage in behavior that is stressful for the relationship and potentially problematic for those individuals (cf. Graham & Clark, 2007;Limke & Showers, 2010). framed in this utilitarian manner, we suggest that these differing mental representations of relationship partners have differential utility for high self-monitors and low self-monitors.…”

“…as we suggested previously, these knowledge structures apparently serve this very function for low self-monitors. Conversely, individuals may utilize integrated partner knowledge structures to insure that evaluations of and reactions to partners are accurate-perhaps especially with respect to negativity in their partners (Graham & Clark, 2007;Limke & Showers, 2010). We believe that this is the goal high self-monitors are hoping to achieve using such knowledge structures.…”

“…for example, Clark (2006, 2007) have employed both reaction time as well as self-report methodology to assess knowledge structures in ways that are independent of the valence of content in these structures. Indeed, Showers and her colleagues have gone so far as to control for evaluative content of knowledge structures while examining segregation/integration (Limke & Showers, 2010;Showers & Kevlyn, 1999). Using the valenced content of knowledge structures, however, seemed appropriate for testing our reasoning about self-monitoring differences in such mental representations.…”

The Family Ties That Protect: Expanded-Self Comparisons in Parent-Child Relationships

“…For example, because most individuals place their children's needs, but not their partner's, above their own (Clark & Mills, 2012), they may be especially likely to experience their child's outcomes as their own and thus protect their positive child evaluations regardless of overlap. Furthermore, because parent-child relationships are more difficult to end than romantic relationships, parents may also be motivated to maintain positive child perceptions to foster more positive parent-child relationships (Limke & Showers, 2010).…”