Intimate Partner Acceptance, Parental Acceptance in Childhood, and Psychological Adjustment Among Japanese Adults

Abstract

This study explored gender differences in relationships between perceived partner acceptance and psychological adjustment in relation to remembrances of maternal and paternal acceptance in childhood. Eighty-two Japanese adults (58 women and 24 men) responded to five self-report questionnaires. Results of analyses showed that men's psychological adjustment was not significantly correlated with either perceived partner acceptance or remembrances of paternal acceptance in childhood, but it was significantly associated with remembrances of maternal acceptance. The psychological adjustment of Japanese women, on the other hand, was significantly correlated with both perceived partner acceptance and with remembrances of paternal acceptance but not with remembrances of maternal acceptance. Results of simple multiple regression showed, however, that only remembered paternal acceptance made an independent and significant contribution to women's adjustment, whereas only remembered maternal acceptance made an independent and significant contribution to men's adjustment.