Recollected Parental Care and Fear of Intimacy in Emerging Adults

Phillips, Tommy M.; Wilmoth, Joe D.; Wall, Sterling K.; Peterson, David R.; Buckley, Rhonda R.; Phillips, Laura E.

doi:10.1177/1066480713476848

Cited by 18 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…Thus, it appears that the association between adults’ remembrances of parental rejection in childhood—as partially mediated by adults’ psychological maladjustment and relationship anxiety—is stable across cultures and genders. These results are consistent with conclusions drawn by Phillips et al (2013) who found that adults’ recollections of parental care (acceptance) in childhood were negatively correlated with fear of intimacy in adulthood.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

“…Finally, the work of Phillips et al (2013) comes closer than the work of Repić (2007) or Espeleta et al (2017) to matching IPARTheory’s expectations about the relation between childhood rejection and adult fear of intimacy. In that study, Phillips et al (2013) reported that recalled parental care (acceptance) in childhood was negatively correlated with fear of intimacy in a sample of young adults. That is, individuals who reported having a warm, caring relationship with at least one parent (especially mothers) in childhood were significantly less likely to develop a fear of intimacy than were those adults who did not have such a relationship.…”

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confidence: 90%

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Psychological Maladjustment Mediates the Relation Between Remembrances of Parental Rejection in Childhood and Adults’ Fear of Intimacy: A Multicultural Study

Rohner

Filus

Melendez-Rhodes

et al. 2019

Cross-Cultural Research

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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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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

mentioning

confidence: 90%

Psychological Maladjustment Mediates the Relation Between Remembrances of Parental Rejection in Childhood and Adults’ Fear of Intimacy: A Multicultural Study

Rohner

Filus

Melendez-Rhodes

et al. 2019

Cross-Cultural Research

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“…In another study, researchers administered the Parental Bonding Instrument (Parker et al, 1979) and the Fear of Intimacy Scale (FIS; Descutner & Thelen, 1991) to a sample of university students from the United States (Phillips et al, 2013). Recalled parental care in childhood was negatively and weakly correlated with adults’ FOI.…”

Section: The Consequences Of Interpersonal Relationshipsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Psychological maladjustment mediates the relation between recollections of parental rejection in childhood and adults’ fear of intimacy in Italy

Senese

Miranda

Lansford

et al. 2020

Journal of Social and Personal Relationships

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Grounded in interpersonal acceptance–rejection theory, this study examined the relation between recollections of parental rejection during childhood and fear of intimacy (FOI) in adulthood, as mediated by adults’ psychological maladjustment. In Study 1, the Fear of Intimacy Scale (FIS) was adapted for use in Italy. Its psychometric properties were investigated in a sample of 635 adults (51% women; 18–35 years). Confirmatory factor analysis, reliability analysis, and measurement invariance analysis showed that the Italian version of the FIS is a valid, reliable, and gender invariant scale. In Study 2, the relations among adults’ recollections of maternal and paternal rejection in childhood, current psychological maladjustment, and self-reported general FOI were investigated in a sample of 360 Italian adults (51% women; 18–35 years). Path analysis showed that the association between recollections of parental rejection during childhood and FOI in adulthood is fully mediated by psychological maladjustment, particularly emotional unresponsiveness, negative self-esteem, and dependency. This model was not moderated by gender. These results provide useful indications for the design of interventions aimed at reducing FOI.

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“…In addition, rejected children and adults often construct mental images of personal relationships as being unpredictable, untrustworthy, and hurtful (Zimmer‐Gembeck et al, ). In new relationships, these negative mental representations make it difficult for rejected individuals to trust others emotionally (Phillips et al, ). They are also likely to become hypervigilant and hypersensitive, and to overreact to any slights or signs of emotional undependability.…”

Section: The Subtheories Of Ipartheorymentioning

confidence: 99%

Deep Structure of the Human Affectional System: Introduction to Interpersonal Acceptance–Rejection Theory

Rohner

Lansford

2017

J of Family Theo & Revie

103

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Interpersonal acceptance–rejection theory (IPARTheory) proposes that across cultures and other sociodemographic groups, interpersonal acceptance and rejection consistently predict the psychological and behavioral adjustment of children and adults (Rohner, 1986, 2004). The goals of this article are to provide a description of the major tenets of IPARTheory, summarize findings from empirical tests of the theory, and suggest future directions tied to the other articles in this special collection as well as for the field moving forward.

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Recollected Parental Care and Fear of Intimacy in Emerging Adults

Cited by 18 publications

References 34 publications

Psychological Maladjustment Mediates the Relation Between Remembrances of Parental Rejection in Childhood and Adults’ Fear of Intimacy: A Multicultural Study

Psychological Maladjustment Mediates the Relation Between Remembrances of Parental Rejection in Childhood and Adults’ Fear of Intimacy: A Multicultural Study

Psychological maladjustment mediates the relation between recollections of parental rejection in childhood and adults’ fear of intimacy in Italy

Deep Structure of the Human Affectional System: Introduction to Interpersonal Acceptance–Rejection Theory

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