Influences of Femininity and Maternal Relationships on Anxiety and Adjustment in Emerging Adulthood

Abstract

This study examined how maternal acceptance, care, and overprotection, along with individuals’ feminine gender orientation, impacted anxiety and adjustment among emerging adults. Data were collected via survey packets from 106 college undergraduates at a university in New England and analyzed using multiple regression models. Results indicated that maternal acceptance predicted better psychological adjustment above and beyond the influence of other parenting characteristics and gender role ideology; participants who felt accepted by their mothers growing up were more likely to have positive adjustment. However, with respect to anxiety, results suggested that having a more feminine gender role orientation was more strongly related to increased anxiety than maternal care, overprotection, and acceptance. These findings contribute to the understanding of unique factors that may serve as risk or resilience factors in the psychological well-being of young adults.