Interpersonal Acceptance-Rejection Research Articles

Hosts’ acceptance of tourist and trip experience in Ghana

ABSTRACT There is little empirical understanding of tourists’ feelings of acceptance and how this shape their experiences at destinations. Using the Interpersonal Acceptance-Rejection Theory and interviews with 34 international tourists in 2018, this study examines international tourists’ feelings of acceptance in Ghana. The results show that while most of the tourists felt accepted, some felt unaccepted by the residents. Acceptance is underpinned by social, cultural, and economic reasons, while unacceptance is due to the display of undesirable behaviour, cultural differences and lack of respect for the local way of life. Acceptance enhanced the overall trip experience of the tourists, while unacceptance diminished their trip experience. The implications of these findings in terms of host-guest relationships are discussed.

Beyond Parental Acceptance and Rejection: A Commentary on the Findings From Empirical Studies on Forgiveness and Vengeance in the Muslim World

Drawing on the framework of interpersonal acceptance-rejection theory (IPARTheory), this special issue edited by Ronald P. Rohner, Sumbleen Ali, and Jennifer E. Lansford explores forgiveness and vengeance within the context of the Muslim world. Examination of the precursors of forgiveness and vengeance holds significance because vengeance typically correlates with adverse physical and psychological health outcomes. We suggest ways to advance research outlined in the special issue, such as assessing cross-cultural invariance and using diverse research designs. Moreover, increasing the diversity of socioeconomic status in studies conducted in the Muslim world and exploring hypotheses in high-income countries are necessary for contextually nuanced research. Overall, this special issue offers valuable insights into the dynamics of forgiveness and vengeance and highlights the role of culture and gender on psychological well-being across diverse contexts.

Relationship between Perceived Maternal Rejection and Neuroticism Delinquency Risk Trait among Female Juvenile Delinquents in Selected Rehabilitation Institutions in Kenya

Juvenile delinquency has been a major problem in most parts of the world including Kenya due to its complexities attributed to its dynamic nature among different categories of children. Gender-based delinquency prevalence studies have identified female juvenile delinquency to be a developing key delinquency challenge as compared to male juvenile delinquency. In addition, research indicates that female juvenile delinquents are more prone to mental health problems attributed to incarceration experiences as compared to male juvenile delinquents. The need to focus more on female juvenile delinquency risk and protective factors studies is thus crucial so as to unravel the prevailing juvenile female delinquency complexities. The purpose of the study was therefore to examine the relationship between perceived maternal rejection and neuroticism delinquency risk trait among female juvenile delinquents in selected rehabilitation institutions in Kenya. Interpersonal Acceptance-Rejection Theory (IPARTheory) was identified to be the key theory that provided the theoretical framework for this study. The research was a correlational study and employed a survey research design in data collection. The study involved 186 female juvenile delinquents incarcerated in selected rehabilitation institutions in Kenya. Purposive sampling was used to select the three government girls’ rehabilitation institutions in Kenya involved in this study. Maternal Acceptance-Rejection Questionnaire and Neuroticism Questionnaire were used to collect data. The Statistical Package for Social Scientist (SPSS) version 25 aided in the analysis of quantitative data. To establish the levels of perceived maternal rejection and neuroticism, the data were subjected to descriptive statistics analysis for calculations of percentages, means and frequencies. The data was also subjected to inferential statistical analysis and employed Spearman’s Rank correlation to establish the relationship between maternal rejection and neuroticism. The analyzed data was then presented in form of tables. The study findings indicated that the participants perceived more of maternal rejection than acceptance (M = 163.8) and significantly high levels of neuroticism (M = 28.33). The study found that there was a moderate positive correlation between the perceived maternal rejection and neuroticism [rs(186) = .565, p < .001] among its participants. Understanding of this relationship and its moderators can help in designing accurate female juvenile delinquency prevention and treatment programs.

Memories of Parental Acceptance and Rejection Predict Forgiveness and Vengeance in the Muslim World: Introduction and Overview

The studies in this special issue on forgiveness and vengeance in the Muslim world explore three hypotheses drawn from interpersonal acceptance-rejection theory (IPARTheory): (1) Adults’ memories of maternal and paternal acceptance in childhood are associated with the disposition toward forgiveness, as mediated by psychological adjustment. (2) Adults’ memories of maternal and paternal rejection in childhood are associated with the disposition toward vengeance, as mediated by psychological maladjustment. (3) There are no significant gender differences in relations between adults’ (men’s and women’s) memories of parental acceptance-rejection in childhood and adults’ disposition toward forgiveness or vengeance, as mediated by psychological (mal)adjustment. Results of most studies reported here conclude that memories of parental (maternal and paternal) acceptance in childhood are significantly related to men’s and women’s disposition toward forgiveness and vengeance as mediated by psychological (mal)adjustment. However, gender and cultural differences also sometimes appear as significant contributors.

Interpersonal Acceptance-Rejection: Disclosing Rohner’s Subtheories in Peter Carey’s The Unusual Life of Tristan Smith

Acceptance and Rejection are the key concepts that influence an individual’s psychological and emotional well-being. Interpersonal Acceptance-Rejection Theory (IPAR Theory) postulated by Ronald P. Rohner and his colleagues offers a framework for understanding the intense influence of interpersonal acceptance and rejection on individuals’ psychological and social outcomes. Understanding the dynamics of Interpersonal Acceptance-Rejection is crucial for fostering inclusive and supporting circumstances. This paper does the same by disclosing and contextualizing Rohner’s Subtheories in Peter Philip Carey’s The Unusual Life of Tristan Smith. Through his writings, Carey delves into the complex workings of his character’s psyche, thereby giving scope for the readers to explore the interior lives of his characters – their desires, fears, inner conflicts and motivations. The Unusual Life of Tristan Smith is a picaresque narrative that centres on Tristan, the titular character born with physical deformities. The complexities of his life in a society that is obsessed with physical perfection raise questions about the conventional notions of Acceptance and Rejection. This paper highlights the Acceptance-Rejection phenomena in Tristan’s life and their implications.

AS YOU SOW, SO SHALL YOU REAP: ADULTS' MEMORIES' EFFECT OF PARENTAL ACCEPTANCE REJECTION IN CHILDHOOD ON AGING PARENTS

Abstract Little is known how adults’ memories of parental acceptance-rejection in childhood influence their behavior toward their aging parents. Grounded in interpersonal acceptance-rejection theory (IPARTheory), this study attempts to better understand how early parent-child relationships affect adult offspring who provide care to their parents in later life. Data were collected from 41 adult offspring. Findings revealed that adults who felt rejected by their parents in childhood reported fewer positive caregiving behaviors toward their now aging parents, were less satisfied with social activities with their parents, spent less time with them or visited them less frequently, and revealed less overall concern for their aging parents. Results were consistent with IPARTheory’s expectations that if parents reject their children, then parents place their own dependent old age at the risk of counter rejection: As you sow, so shall you reap. Such findings may help researchers, clinicians, and practitioners better understand the well-being of aging adults.

Perceived Parental Undifferentiated Rejection and Children’s Personality Dispositions: A Meta-Analysis of Multicultural Studies

Prior multicultural meta-analyses have shown that three of the four individual expressions of parental rejection (viz., coldness/lack of affection, hostility/aggression, and indifference/neglect) tend to be significantly associated with all seven of the personality dispositions most central to interpersonal acceptance-rejection theory (IPARTheory). These dispositions include hostility/aggression, dependence, negative self-esteem, negative self-adequacy, emotional instability, emotional unresponsiveness, and negative worldview. However, it was unknown whether the fourth expression of rejection (i.e. undifferentiated rejection) tends to be associated transculturally, as predicted by the theory, with this cluster of dispositions among children. Thus, this meta-analysis investigated 1) the extent to which children’s perceptions of maternal and paternal undifferentiated rejection were related to these personality dispositions, and 2) the extent to which these relations varied by gender of parent. To address these questions, we performed a meta-analysis on 16 studies involving 12,538 children in 14 countries. Results showed significant associations between all seven personality dispositions and both maternal and paternal undifferentiated rejection. The results also showed significantly stronger relations between maternal than paternal undifferentiated rejection on five of the seven indices of children’s personality.

The Adaptation of Adult Interpersonal Acceptance-Rejection Scale into Turkish and the Examination of its Psychometric Properties

This study aims to adapt the Adult Interpersonal Acceptance Rejection Scale to Turkish culture and examine the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of this scale. 653 university students selected by the convenience sampling method constitute the study sample. The original factor structure of the scale was examined by confirmatory factor analysis. The results revealed that the original factor structure of the Adult Interpersonal Acceptance-Rejection Scale was confirmed in the Turkish sample. The internal consistency of the scale items was associated with the Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient and was calculated as .908. In addition, Cronbach's alpha values were.915 for the mother acceptance sub-dimension, .909 for best friend acceptance sub-dimension, and .911 for the romantic partner acceptance sub-dimension. Correlation coefficients were calculated between the Adult Interpersonal Acceptance Rejection Scale and the Two-Dimensional Self-Esteem Scale, the Interdependent Happiness Scale, and the Life Satisfaction Scale to prove the validity of the criterion. The results showed that the sub-dimensions of the scales were significantly related. These results show that the Turkish version of the Adult Interpersonal Acceptance Rejection Scale is a valid and reliable measurement tool that can be used for research purposes to determine the levels of interpersonal acceptance and rejection of adult individuals.

Parental Support and Problematic Smartphone Use: A Serial Mediating Model of Self-Esteem and Fear of Missing Out.

Based on problem behavior theory and interpersonal acceptance–rejection theory, this study aimed to examine the mediating roles of self-esteem and fear of missing out (FoMO) on the influence of parental support on adolescents’ problematic smartphone use. This study is a cross-sectional and descriptive study. A total of 260 Korean adolescents from two public middle schools were selected through convenience sampling (female, 50.4%; mean age, 13.16 ± 0.84; range age, 12~15). Participants completed self-report questionnaires assessing sociodemographic characteristics, parental support, self-esteem, FoMO, and problematic smartphone use. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson’s correlation coefficients, and mediation analysis. The findings show that self-esteem and FoMO play a serial mediating role in the relationship between parental support and adolescents’ problematic smartphone use. Specifically, parental support had a negative effect on adolescents’ problematic smartphone use by increasing self-esteem but decreasing FoMO. These results provide further guidance in the prevention of and intervention of adolescent problematic smartphone use.

The Interaction Effect of Parental Rejection and Oxytocin Receptor Gene Polymorphism on Depression: A Cross-Cultural Study in Non-Clinical Samples

Parental rejection has been consistently empirically implicated in a wide array of developmental, behavioural and psychological problems worldwide. However, the interaction effect between parental rejection in childhood and the oxytocin receptor genotype on psychological adjustment has yet to be investigated. The present study aimed to investigate gene–environment interaction effects between parental rejection (maternal and paternal) and oxytocin receptor (OXTR) gene polymorphisms (rs53576 and rs2254298) on depressive symptoms in adults in different cultural contexts. Adults from Italy and Japan (N = 133, age = 18–27 years, females = 68) were preliminarily genotyped and then completed the Parental Acceptance-Rejection Questionnaire for mothers and fathers and the Beck Depression Inventory. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis showed that paternal rejection was related to self-reported depression and that the effect of parental rejection was moderated by OXTR gene polymorphisms and nationality. Among Italians, OXTR rs2254298 A-carriers showed resilience to negative early parental care, whereas among Japanese, OXTR rs53576 non-A-carriers showed resistance to negative early paternal care. These findings align with expected relations between perceived acceptance–rejection and an individual’s psychological adjustment, as proposed by interpersonal acceptance–rejection theory, and indicate the need for future studies adopting a multicultural and multilevel approach to better understand how the effects of parental rejection extend into adulthood.

Parenting Style and Adolescent Mental Health: The Chain Mediating Effects of Self-Esteem and Psychological Inflexibility.

Based on interpersonal acceptance–rejection theory, family systems theory, and psychological inflexibility theory, this study aimed to examine the mediating roles of a protective factor (self-esteem) and a risk factor (psychological inflexibility) on the influence of parenting style on adolescent mental health. A sample of Chinese adolescents (n = 916, 46% male, mean age = 14.44 years, SD = 1.84 years) completed the Short Egna Minnen Barndoms Uppfostran, the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale, the Avoidance and Fusion Questionnaire for Youth, the Satisfaction with Life Scale, and the Depression Subscale of the Youth Self-Report. Results show that the self-esteem and psychological inflexibility play a chain mediating role in the relationship between parenting style and adolescent mental health. Specifically, parental emotional warmth had a positive effect on adolescent mental health through the chain mediating effects of self-esteem and psychological inflexibility. Parental rejection and parental over-protection had negative effects on adolescent mental health by lowering self-esteem but increasing psychological inflexibility. These results provide further guidance in the prevention of and intervention in adolescent mental health problems.

Surveilling and Spying on Romantic Partners in the United States: The Influence of Perceived Maternal Rejection and Psychological Maladjustment

According to interpersonal acceptance-rejection theory (IPARTheory), people who perceive rejection by important others experience more psychological maladjustment than those who do not perceive rejection. IPARTheory predicts universal responses to perceived rejection or acceptance, making it important to explore its predictive ability with theoretically-related constructs like romantic relationships. Participants (N = 443; Mage = 36.05 years; SD = 11.26; 46% identifying as men, 45.4% reported their assigned sex at birth as male) completed surveys regarding perceptions of their childhood relationships with their mother, interpersonal anxiety, engagement in romantic surveillance, jealousy, infidelity, sociosexual orientation, and gender norms. We examined how well perceived maternal acceptance-rejection (independent variable) predicted reasons to spy/stalk on a romantic partner and the likelihood of spying/stalking (dependent variables). For both models, we explored psychological maladjustment, interpersonal anxiety, jealousy, and sociosexuality as mediators and included correlated demographic variables as covariates in the models. Jealousy mediated perceived maternal rejection and increased surveilling. Our study broadens the understanding of variables that influence surveilling behaviors in romantic relationships in the United States, and provides support for the universal application and predictive ability of IPARTheory.

Effects of Parental Acceptance-Rejection on Children's Internalizing and Externalizing Behaviors: A Longitudinal, Multicultural Study.

Grounded in interpersonal acceptance-rejection theory, this study assessed children's (N=1,315) perceptions of maternal and paternal acceptance-rejection in nine countries (China, Colombia, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, the Philippines, Sweden, Thailand, and the United States) as predictors of children's externalizing and internalizing behaviors across ages 7-14 years. Parenting behaviors were measured using children's reports on the Parental Acceptance-Rejection Questionnaire. Child externalizing and internalizing behaviors were measured using mother, father, and child reports on the Achenbach System of Empirically-Based Assessment. Using a multilevel modeling framework, we found that in cultures where both maternal and paternal indifference/neglect scores were higher than average-compared to other cultures -children's internalizing problems were more persistent. At the within-culture level, all four forms of maternal and paternal rejection (i.e., coldness/lack of affection, hostility/aggression, indifference/neglect, and undifferentiated rejection) were independently associated with both externalizing and internalizing problems across ages 7-14 even after controlling for child gender, parent education, and each of the four forms of parental rejection. Results demonstrate that the effects of perceived parental acceptance-rejection are panculturally similar.

Introduction to Interpersonal Acceptance-Rejection Theory (IPARTheory) and Evidence

Interpersonal acceptance-rejection theory (IPARTheory) is an evidence-based theory of socialization and lifespan development. It is composed of three subtheories, each of which deals with a separate but interrelated set of issues. IPARTheory’s personality subtheory – which is the most highly developed component of the theory – deals primarily with the pancultural nature and effects of interpersonal acceptance and rejection. Coping subtheory explores the fact that some individuals are better able to cope with experiences of perceived rejection than are other individuals. Finally, IPARTheory’s sociocultural systems subtheory attempts to predict and explain major causes and sociocultural correlates of interpersonal acceptance-rejection worldwide. Empirical evidence overwhelmingly supports the theory’s major postulates and predictions, especially postulates and predictions in personality subtheory. Emerging evidence about the neurobiological and biochemical risks posed for the development, structure, and function of the human brain are beginning to help explain why these postulates and predictions are so consistently confirmed panculturally.

The Relationship Between Loneliness and Psychological Adjustment: Validation of the Italian Version of the Interpersonal Acceptance-Rejection Loneliness Scale.

In recent literature, many researchers have highlighted that the feeling of loneliness can be considered a sign of relevant distress with short- and long-term consequences on the health of people who needs to be appropriately monitored and treated. In this view, the Interpersonal Acceptance–Rejection Loneliness Scale (IPARLS) has been developed to evaluate the subjective feelings and distress related to interpersonal loneliness and to overcome the limits of the previous scales; however, its psychometric characteristics have not yet been fully investigated. Starting from these considerations, two studies have been conducted. The first study, involving 688 adults (19–69 years; 51% females), assessed dimensionality, reliability, and validity of and tested the measurement invariance (MI) of the Italian version of the IPARLS. The second study, involving 205 adults (20–69 years; 51% females), investigated the relationship between loneliness and psychological adjustment. Results confirmed the unidimensionality of the scale and showed that it is reliable, valid, and fully invariant as a function of age and gender. Moreover, data showed a strong association between perceived loneliness and psychological adjustment. The IPARLS is confirmed to be a valid and reliable measure to investigate loneliness in the life cycle from clinical and research perspectives.

The mediational role of intimate partner acceptance and psychological adjustment in the relationship between intimate partner control and marital adjustment

Grounded in Interpersonal Acceptance-Rejection Theory (IPARTheory), this exploratory study investigated the associations among perceived intimate partner rejection, intimate partner control, psychological maladjustment, and marital adjustment. Perceived behavioral control in intimate partner relationships has been under-researched within the context of IPARTheory. Although the role of behavioral control in child/adolescent-parent relationships has been well-established, insufficient exploration of the phenomenon in marriage relationships calls for new empirical findings. The conveniently selected sample consisted of 624 (360 female, 264 male) married individuals living in big cities of Turkey. Intimate Partner Acceptance-Rejection/Control Questionnaire, Personality Assessment Questionnaire, Dyadic Adjustment Scale, and Demographic Form were utilized to gather data. Structural Equation Modeling was utilized as the primary analysis to test the proposed sequential mediational model of the study. The results indicated that intimate partner behavioral control was significantly and indirectly associated with marital adjustment through the mediating effects of intimate partner rejection and psychological maladjustment. Moreover, intimate partner rejection had direct effects on psychological maladjustment and marital adjustment. The indirect effect of intimate partner rejection on marital adjustment via the mediation of psychological maladjustment was found to be significant. Lastly, the sequential mediation by intimate partner rejection and psychological maladjustment in the relationship between intimate partner control and marital adjustment was also significant. This study adds to the existing literature on IPARTheory by showing that perceived intimate partner behavioral control is quite negatively related to marital adjustment. Results underscore how perceived behavioral control by a spouse triggers rejection and diminishes the psychological adjustment of the controlled partner.

Examining the Reliability of Various Interpersonal Acceptance-Rejection Theory (IPARTheory) Measures in Vietnamese Adolescents

Perceiving one’s self as accepted by important others, such as parents, is fundamental and crucial for the well-being of each individual. One major aspect of interpersonal acceptance-rejection theory (IPARTheory) is examining how parental acceptance-rejection affects people’s psychological adjustment. This theory has been validated in many countries and cultural groups around the world, but has not been utilized in the Vietnamese context. This research aims to assess the reliability of IPARTheory measures in Vietnam and applicability of the theory itself among a Vietnamese sample. Participants included 162 students from a high school in Hanoi (Mage = 15.58 years; 69.8% female). Materials consisted of Vietnamese versions of various IPARTheory measures: Parental Acceptance-Rejection Questionnaire, Personality Assessment Questionnaire, Interpersonal Relationship Anxiety Questionnaire, and a demographics form designed specifically for this research. Analyses show that psychological maladjustment significantly correlated with perceived paternal rejection, maternal rejection, and their subscales. Cronbach’s alphas were strong, ranging from .73 to .97, except for the dependency subscale and hostility subscale of the Personality Assessment Questionnaire. Thus, the results provide evidence for the reliability of various IPARTheory measures in Vietnam. The relationships found in this study have implications for parents, teachers, and psychologists to employ in order to provide adolescents with appropriate guidance and intervention based on the importance of perceived parental acceptance-rejection.

Παρουσία του Πατέρα στην Οικογένεια και Αντιλαμβανόμενη Γονική Αποδοχή-Απόρριψη

Interpersonal Acceptance-Rejection Theory (IPAR Theory), recently renamed from Parental Acceptance-Rejection Theory (PART), entails that children react crossculturally with consistence to the types of behavior perceived as “acceptance” and “rejection” primarily by their parents. The majority of studies also showed that the higher degree of father’s presence as caregiver within family, the more children feel to be accepted by both parents (Rohner, 1986). This study explores the relationship between the presence of father as caregiver and the perceived acceptancerejection in childhood, by using the short version of the Adults Parental Acceptance-Rejection/Control questionnaire (Adult PARQ/C. Rohner, 2005. Rohner & Khaleque, 2008). 1117 students from various universities in Athens, Greece and in Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina participated in this research. The multivariate analyses of variance findings suggest a fairly strong relationship between maternal and paternal perceived acceptance and father’s physical presence within family activity, as well as his involvement in raising a child duties. These findings are discussed in relation to empirical studies of the international literature of perceived paternal acceptance-rejection.

Differences in Perceptions of Parental Acceptance / Rejection in Students in the 3rd Cycle of Schooling

Perceptions of acceptance/rejection, in this case parental, are revealing for the psychological adjustment of students and for their success in various areas of life, in this case at school (Ali, 2011; Khaleque and Ali; 2017; Rohner, 2016). Based on some concepts from the Interpersonal Acceptance-Rejection Theory (Rohner 1975, 1986, 2004, 2016), this study analyzes differences in parental acceptance / rejection, mother and father, according to the students´ grade (7th, 8th and 9thh). The study sample included 573 students aged 12 to 18, mostly attending state schools in the Lisbon district and a state school in Beira Alta. Of these students, 214 (37.3%) were from the 7th grade, 202 from the 8th (35.3%) and 157 from the 9th grade (27.4%). For this, we used the One Way MANOVA and the Scheffé post-hoc test was applied to identify which grades differed in terms of parental acceptance / rejection (father and mother). Our results show significant differences between grades, in the dimensions and total scale related to the perception of maternal and paternal acceptance / rejection. In general terms, 9th grade students showed themselves as those who revealed to perceive more parental rejection, in global terms, in relation to father and mother. We believe that these students having been through adolescence, as well as being much nearer to attending secondary school, may explain these results. On the other hand, the 7th grade students, closest to childhood years, were those who revealed themselves to feel less problems regarding affection on the part of their mothers and fathers.

Psychological maladjustment mediates the relation between recollections of parental rejection in childhood and adults’ fear of intimacy in Italy

Grounded in interpersonal acceptance–rejection theory, this study examined the relation between recollections of parental rejection during childhood and fear of intimacy (FOI) in adulthood, as mediated by adults’ psychological maladjustment. In Study 1, the Fear of Intimacy Scale (FIS) was adapted for use in Italy. Its psychometric properties were investigated in a sample of 635 adults (51% women; 18–35 years). Confirmatory factor analysis, reliability analysis, and measurement invariance analysis showed that the Italian version of the FIS is a valid, reliable, and gender invariant scale. In Study 2, the relations among adults’ recollections of maternal and paternal rejection in childhood, current psychological maladjustment, and self-reported general FOI were investigated in a sample of 360 Italian adults (51% women; 18–35 years). Path analysis showed that the association between recollections of parental rejection during childhood and FOI in adulthood is fully mediated by psychological maladjustment, particularly emotional unresponsiveness, negative self-esteem, and dependency. This model was not moderated by gender. These results provide useful indications for the design of interventions aimed at reducing FOI.