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

A Multicultural Study

Bibliographic Data

ID7738415
AuthorsRonald P Rohner (0000-0002-0061-696X, University of Connecticut, Storrs, USA, corresponding author), Ania Filus (0000-0002-7191-8172, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA), Tatiana Melendez-Rhodes (Central Connecticut State University, New Britain, USA), Tatiana Melendez‐Rhodes (0000-0002-4403-2894, Central Connecticut State University), Behire Kuyumcu (0000-0003-1269-7143, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey), Francisco Machado (0000-0001-8951-3379, University Institute of Maia, Porto, Portugal), Joanna Roszak (0000-0003-1048-745X, SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Warsaw, Poland), Sadiq Hussain (0000-0001-9008-935X, Karakoram International University, Gilgit, Pakistan), Yun-Joo Chyung (Incheon National University, South Korea), Vincenzo P Senese (0000-0003-2299-6040, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Caserta, Italy), Saeede Daneshmandi (0000-0001-6720-8197, University of Shiraz, Iran), Brien K Ashdown (0000-0002-8392-9354, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva, NY, USA), Theodoros Giovazolias (0000-0002-9939-4737, University of Crete, Rethymno, Greece), Renata Glavak-Tkalić (Institute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar, Zagreb, Croatia), Siyi Chen (0000-0002-6236-5561, New York University, New York City, USA), Muhammad Kamal Uddin (0000-0003-2033-8933, University of Dhaka), Scott R Harris (0009-0005-3002-0701, University of Southern Queensland), Scott Harris (0000-0001-5774-1537, University of Southern Queensland), Nilgun Gregory (Final International University, Kyrenia, Cyprus), Nilgün Öngider Gregory (Final International University), Marisalva Fávero (0000-0001-8863-5083, University Institute of Maia, Porto, Portugal), Samar Zahra (0000-0002-8832-053X, Karakoram International University, Gilgit, Pakistan), John Alan Lee (0000-0001-8718-388X, Chung-Ang University), Julie Lee (Chung-Ang University, Seoul, South Korea), Maria C Miranda (0000-0002-9006-6809, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Caserta, Italy), Zahra Izadikhah (0000-0002-5726-0933, University of Southern Queensland), Carrie M Brown (Independent Scholar, Oak Park, CA, USA), Artemis Giotsa (University of Ioannina), Άρτεμις Γιώτσα (0000-0003-0412-0205, University of Ioannina), Anita Vulić-Prtorić (University of Zadar, Croatia), Xuan Li (0000-0003-0366-872X, New York University Shanghai), Li Xuan (0000-0001-9638-128X, New York University Shanghai), Abdul Khaleque (0000-0002-6873-9165, University of Connecticut, Storrs, USA), Gülçin Karadeniz (0000-0002-3315-8635, Maltepe University, Istanbul, Turkey), Márcia Machado (0000-0002-1868-0118, University Institute of Maia, Porto, Portugal), Sana Gul (0000-0002-3378-9509, Karakoram International University, Gilgit, Pakistan), Dario Bacchini (0000-0001-6140-9377, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Caserta, Italy), A N Faherty (0000-0002-8061-5245, Clark University, Worcester, MA, USA), Andrea Zoroja (University of Zagreb, Croatia), Rumana Aktar (0000-0002-1299-0131, University of Chittagong, Bangladesh), Raffaella Perrella (0000-0003-2301-2066, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Caserta, Italy), Abigail A Camden (0000-0001-8231-836X, Agnes Scott College, Decatur, GA, USA), Muhammad Alamgir Hossain (Jagannath University), Kishor Roy (0009-0009-8066-5320, Jagannath University, Bangladesh)
Year2019
Volume53
Issue5
Pages508-542
Publication date2019-12-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueCross-Cultural Research (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1069-3971 • E-ISSN: 1552-3578
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/1069397118822992
OpenAlexW2886357079
LanguageEN
Citations received9
References cited37

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

Developmental psychology · Multiculturalism · Social rejection · Social relation · Clinical Psychology · Family Support in Illness · Intergenerational Family Dynamics and Caregiving · Psychology · Social Psychology