This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (2) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Black, K. A. Articles by Schutte, E. D. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

Recollections of Being Loved

Implications of Childhood Experiences With Parents for Young Adults’ Romantic Relationships

University of Hartford

Emily D. Schutte

University of Hartford

This study examined the extent to which young adults’ recollections of their childhood experiences with parents were associated with their reported feelings and behavior in romantic relationships. Participants were 205 young adults. Based on a question from the Adult Attachment Interview (George, Kaplan, & Main, 1996), participants wrote adjectives that described their childhood relationships with each parent as well as childhood incidents that illustrated those adjectives. Participants’ feelings and behavior in romantic relationships were assessed with Brennan and Shaver’s (1995) Adult Attachment Scales. Those who were rated as having more positive and loving relationships with mothers were more trusting and were more likely to seek comfort from their romantic partners during times of distress and to "open up" to them. Similarly, those who were rated as having more positive and loving relationships with fathers were also more likely to seek comfort from their romantic partners and were more comfortable relying on their partners.

Key Words: attachment • parent-child relationships • romantic relationships

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				K. A. Black, C. L. Whittingham, L. E. Reardon, and J. M. Tumolo Associations between young adults' recollections of their childhood experiences with parents and observations of their interaction behavior with best friends International Journal of Behavioral Development, January 1, 2007; 31(1): 28 - 37. [Abstract] [PDF]