Abstract
SummaryContinuity and discontinuity in the development of social relationships have been investigated by reviewing the course of social bonds and by analyzing the effects of a sound intimate relationship in adulthood in conjunction with recalled maternal bonding on the quality of life among students.A questionnaire-based study of 207 students was conducted. Perceptions of maternal bonding were designated as being representative of one of the two contrasting bonding types “optimal maternal bonding” and “affectionless maternal control” assessed by the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI) and combined with perceptions of a sound intimate adult relationship measured by the Family Assessment Measure III Dyadic Relationships Scale (FAM-III-D). Quality of life and general health data were determined by using the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF) instrument.Students who reported “optimal maternal bonding” had intimate relationships in adulthood that were of significantly higher quality than those who recalled “affectionless maternal control”. Students who recalled “optimal maternal bonding” and described their intimate relationship as sound showed significantly higher scores in all domains of quality of life and indicated having better general health than those who reported “affectionless maternal control” and a sound intimate relationship.A sound intimate relationship in adulthood does not appear to compensate the impact of a recalled maternal bonding behavior in terms of affectionless control, on quality of life. Furthermore, results seem to support the hypothesis of continuity of the development of social relationships among psychologically well individuals based on the association between maternal bonding and later intimate relationships.
Highlights
Bonding represents the emotional attachment between the primary caregiver and the child, appears shortly after birth, and implies a special and focused relationship towards the caregiver’s own offspring [1,2,3]
Students who recalled “optimal maternal bonding”, defined by a high level of maternal care and low level of maternal control [13] indicated having intimate relationships in adulthood that were of significantly higher quality than students who recalled “affectionless maternal control”, defined by a low level of maternal care and high level of maternal control [13]
High levels of maternal empathy, closeness, emotional warmth, and low levels of overprotection, intrusion, excessive contact, control, and infantilization were related to an intimate relationship of high quality, defined by a high level of complementary emotional needs for both partners in order to guarantee a feeling of security, a sense of togetherness and mutual esteem for appreciation of one another, a higher level of self-esteem, independence, a high level of security within the partnership and high autonomy exhibited by both partners
Summary
Bonding represents the emotional attachment between the primary caregiver and the child, appears shortly after birth, and implies a special and focused relationship towards the caregiver’s own offspring [1,2,3]. Individual differences in the security of child and parent relationships are thought to be important due to their implications for later development. Socialization experiences strongly influence any later capacity to form affectionate bonds. These experiences are gradually incorporated into the individual’s psychological organization and significantly influence the course of other relationships [4]. Adults with insecure intimate relationships presented more negative expectations and beliefs about love, histories of shorter intimate relationships and less favorable childhood experiences with their parents than adults with secure intimate relationships. Disadvantages of insecure compared to secure attached individuals with respect to several aspects of adult intimate relationships have been reported Disadvantages of insecure compared to secure attached individuals with respect to several aspects of adult intimate relationships have been reported (e. g. [7,8,9])
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