Parental rearing style and socio-demography of married and cohabiting individuals in a representative German sample

Abstract

ABSTRACTWhereas the number of marriages has decreased, alternatives such as cohabitation have increased in German society. The main goal of the present representative study was to specify the influence of recalled parental rearing behavior on relationship status by specifying and controlling for socio-demographic variables. A sample of 2146 participants aged 18 to 60 (M = 42.9, SD = 10.2) was investigated employing the German version of the Recalled Parental Rearing Behavior Questionnaire. In comparison to cohabitant interviewees, married interviewees reported having experienced significantly less emotional warmth. This effect was independent of the gender of the parent or the interviewee or of education but not of the age. Furthermore, a mother recalled as having been emotionally warmer seemed to be connected to cohabitation. Since emotional warmth promotes social competence and security as well as attachment security, fewer difficulties may appear in a relationship. Thus, less need for emotional warmth might be an explanation for cohabitation.