The Relationship between Perceived Parental Discord and Differences in Attitudes towards Romantic Relationships among African American College Students

Abstract

This study aimed to address relationships between perceptions of parental conflict and romantic relationship attitudes as recalled by African American college students. Two hundred twenty-four African American college students were asked to recall conflict between their parents and answer survey questions reflective of attitudes towards their own romantic relationships. Standard multiple regression analysis show that perceptions of parental discord was a key predictor of African American college students’ perceptions of the direct impact of parental discord. Moreover, Pearson product-moment correlations also indicated strong positive relationships between college student’s perceptions of parental conflict during childhood and the perceived impact of discord. Further investigation is needed to address conflict between African American couples, and understand the ways in which parental interactions influence the romantic relationships of children as they transition into young adulthood.