Effect of the both partners' experiences from families of origin on the quality of their intimate relationship in the young adulthood

Abstract

Cilj ovoga istraživanja bio je, polazeći od postavki teorije socijalnoga učenja, ispitati učinak koji percepcija (dis)funkcionalnosti roditeljskog odnosa tijekom odrastanja ima na kvalitetu intimnih veza potomaka u mlađoj odrasloj dobi (20 – 40 godina). Budući da su roditelji prvi modeli iz čije međusobne interakcije djeca uče o tome kako partnerski odnos izgleda, brojna istraživanja pokazala su da potomci mnoge obrasce ponašanja koje su opažali kod svojih roditelja prenose i na svoje intimne veze u odrasloj dobi. Ipak, točan mehanizam preko kojega se taj međugeneracijski prijenos obrazaca partnerskih odnosa odvija još nije utvrđen. Ti odnosi postaju još složeniji kada uzmemo u obzir da svaku intimnu vezu čini interakcija dvoje ljudi koji u nju ulaze s različitim iskustvima, karakteristikama i vještinama te međusobno neprestano utječu jedno na drugo. Stoga smo, koristeći dijadnu metodologiju, odlučili provjeriti ulogu samoefikasnosti u vezi i komunikacije kao potencijalnih posredujućih varijabli u međugeneracijskom prijenosu partnerskih obrazaca. Na uzorku od 309 parova mlađe odrasle dobi od kojih je većina bila u braku, a tek manji broj njih je kohabitirao, provjerili smo dva odvojena proširena modela međusobne zavisnosti aktera i partnera (APIMeM). Dobiveni rezultati upućuju na zaključak da ne postoji izravan učinak percepcije roditeljskoga odnosa na kvalitetu intimne veze u mlađoj odrasloj dobi, niti kod žena, ni kod muškaraca. Medijatorska uloga samoefikasnosti u vezi i komunikacije potvrđena je samo kod muškaraca. Odnosno, percepcija muškaraca da je odnos između njihovih roditelja više disfunkcionalan, smanjuje njihovu samoučinkovitost i vještine komunikacije u vezi, što onda pak ima učinak na njihovu nižu procjenu kvalitete trenutne veze. Kod žena se uloga medijatora nije pokazala značajnom niti u jednom od modela. U oba modela pokazalo se da kod muškaraca postoji dijadni obrazac ˝samo akter˝, odnosno rezultati partnerice nemaju učinak na njihove ishode. S druge strane, kod žena je nađen značajan učinak partnera u oba modela, na način da partnerova percepcija veće disfunkcionalnosti primarne obitelji smanjuje njegovu samoučinkovitost i komunikaciju u vezi, što onda djeluje i na smanjenje ženinog doživljaja kvalitete veze. Dobiveni nalazi, osim znanstvenog aspekta, u smislu teorijskog i metodološkog doprinosa ovom području, imaju i važne praktične implikacije te su razmatrani u kontekstu unapređenja kvalitete partnerskih odnosa.Introduction: According to the social learning theory (Bandura, 1977), parents are the first models that children see and learn from about different aspects of life, including what intimate relationship should be like. Vicarious learning is a very powerful learning mechanism because models (parents) usually do not invest any special efforts or skills to teach observers (children) about intimate relationships. Still, children learn more by observing than by following verbal instructions. Since the parents' relationship/marriage is the first model of an intimate relationship, it is not unusual for the intergenerational transmission of relationship skills and partner interactions (or relationship/marriage quality per se) to happen. Offspring develop inadequate interpersonal skills and behavior patterns from their parents, and they transfer them to their own intimate relationships in young adulthood. Usually, this transmission happens through some intervening variables (mediators) like relationship self-efficacy (which has an important place in Bandura's theory) and communication patterns. Thus, the main goal of this study was to investigate the effect of the both partners' experiences from families of origin on the quality of their intimate relationship in young adulthood within the context of the social learning theory. Methodology: Participants in this study were 309 married or cohabitating couples in young adulthood (20 – 40 years old). They have answered questions from several questionnaires: Children’s Perception of Interparental Conflict (Grych, Seid & Fincham, 1992; we have later developed its short version Observed Parents’ Conflict Behavior Scale), Norton’s Index of Marriage Quality (Norton, 1983), Relationship Self-Efficacy Scale (Lopez, Morúa & Rice, 2007) and Marital Communication Questionnaire (Bodenmann, 2000; in Ledermann, Bodenmann, Rudaz & Bradbury, 2010). Using dyadic methodology, we have tested two separate extended actor-partner interdependence models with relationship self-efficacy and communication as mediators. Results and discussion: There is no evidence of direct effect for the offspring's perception of their parents relationship on the offspring's relationship quality in young adulthood. Relationship selfefficacy and communication have proved to be significant mediators only for men. Men's perception of their parents' greater dysfunctionality is decreasing their relationship selfefficacy and positive communication patterns, which lowers the relationship quality. When it comes to women, indirect (mediator) effects were not significant in both models that we have tested. Results from both models show a significant dyadic ˝only actor˝ pattern for men. That means that their partners' (women's) results do not have an effect on men's outcomes. On the other hand, when it comes to women, there are significant partner effects in both models. This means that their partner's perception of the more dysfunctional relationship between his parents lowers his relationship self-efficacy and positive communication which leads to a decrease in women's evaluation of their relationship quality. It could be that dysfunctionality of the family of origin, especially parents' open conflicts, has more long-term detrimental consequences for men then for women which is line with some of the previous studies (Feng, Giarusso, Bengston, & Frye, 1999; Story, Karney, Lawrence, & Bradbury, 2004). Significant partner effects for women could be due to the socialization process and social roles that emphasize women's focus on the relationships, which makes them more empathetic and more sensitive to their partner's behavior and interpersonal skills. Conclusion: Present research contributes to the field of intimate relationship by emphasizing the importance of parents' conflicts and not divorce in intergenerational transmission of relationship skills and partner interactions, especially for men. Dyadic methodology is a very useful tool for relationship research and provides us with useful information not only in scientific terms, but it also in everyday life and it has practical implications for couples' workshops and other activities that can improve relationship quality