Why are undergraduate emerging adults anxious and avoidant in their romantic relationships? The role of family relationships

Romantic Duration, Relationship Quality, and Attachment Insecurity among Dating Couples

For many young adults today dating is not taken as a path to marriage, but as a relationship to be considered on its own terms with a beginning, middle, and end. Yet, research has not kept pace as most studies that look at relationships over time focus on marriages. In the present study, we look at individual differences and normative patterns of dating relationship quality over time. We tested a path model of associations between relationship duration, attachment insecurity, and four relationship quality domains (sexual frequency, commitment, satisfaction, and companionship) among a large sample of dating young adults (N = 1345). Based on a conceptual model of romantic relationship development, results supported expectations that dating trajectories are curvilinear, with unique patterns of accent, peak, and decent for each relationship domain. Dating duration also moderated the relationship between dating quality and attachment insecurity with anxious attachment becoming a more salient predictor of lower satisfaction and lower commitment in long-term versus short-term relationships. A quadratic interaction with sexual frequency indicated that insecurity predicted less sexual activity in new relationships, more activity among relationships between two and four years, but then less again in longer-term relationships. Findings suggest patterns of stability and change in dating relationships during emerging adulthood that complement those observed from the marriage literature.

Associação entre vínculo parental e qualidade da vinculação amorosa em universitários no sul do Brasil

A partir das primeiras experiências de vinculação, serão internalizados modelos representacionais que servirão de protótipo para as relações amorosas no futuro. Este estudo investigou a associação entre a percepção de vínculo parental e a qualidade da vinculação amorosa em universitários no sul do Brasil. Trata-se de um estudo transversal, no qual foram utilizados o Questionário de Vinculação ao Pai e à Mãe e o Questionário de Vinculação Amorosa. A análise estatística foi baseada no modelo de Regressão Linear Múltipla. Foram avaliados 89 universitários. A cada aumento de um ponto no escore da inibição da exploração e da individualidade no vínculo materno, houve uma diminuição no escore da confiança e um aumento no escore da ambivalência no vínculo amoroso. Os resultados demonstram que dificuldades no estabelecimento de um vínculo precoce saudável podem ocasionar sentimento de insegurança, ambivalência e baixa confiança nos relacionamentos amorosos futuros.

Attachment Style and Its Relationships with Early Memories of Separation Anxiety and Adult Separation Anxiety Symptoms among Emerging Adults

Emerging adulthood concerns the transition from adolescence to adulthood. It foresees the separation from the family and the creation of new significant relationships, whereby specific attachment styles might be triggered when facing these challenges. The present study investigates the influence of retrospective memories associated with childhood separation anxiety symptoms upon emerging adults’ romantic avoidant vs. anxious attachment styles including adult separation anxiety symptoms as mediators. Age and gender were included as covariates. A community sample of N = 394 Italian emerging adults (Mage = 23.64, SD = 4.00, 70% females) completed self-report measures. The results showed that the participants presented a greater anxious attachment rather than an avoidant attachment style. Moreover, both adult separation anxiety and the memories of early separation anxiety were positively and significantly associated with anxious attachment and not with avoidant attachment. A mediation model conducted and focused on anxious attachment showed that, although not directly associated, child separation anxiety did show a significant positive indirect effect on anxious attachment as mediated by adult separation anxiety symptoms. Thus, the findings highlighted the influence of adult separation anxiety symptoms and retrospective childhood memories of separation anxiety upon anxious adult romantic attachment, yet not on avoidant attachment style. Clinical implications are discussed and suggestions for future research are provided.

Cutting the cord? Parenting emerging adults with chronic pain

The role of parent factors, such as distress and protective behaviors, on pain and functional outcomes of emerging adults living with chronic pain has been largely unexplored. The effects of helicopter parenting and developmental changes occurring during this transition period between adolescence and adulthood (commonly defined as the ages between 18 and 30 years) may exacerbate the pain experience and have the potential to influence chronic pain management. Clinical practice, with an additional focus on supporting the parent(s), may aid in meeting the needs of this population. In this paper, we review the available literature on (a) the socio-cultural shift in parenting over the past decade with a focus on helicopter parenting; (b) the impact of this parenting style on the pain experience and outcomes of emerging adults living with chronic pain; (c) provide recommendations for chronic pain management with a focus on the parent-emerging adult dyad; and (d) conclude with future research recommendations. This narrative review is the first to consider the impacts and outcomes of helicopter parenting on emerging adults with chronic pain.