The role of parental acceptance, self-differentiation and couple caregiving in relationship satisfaction

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between recollection of parental acceptance-rejection during childhood and self-differentiation on spouses' caregiving and in turn on relationship satisfaction. The research will also examine the mutual associations between one partner's caregiving and the relationship satisfaction on the relationship satisfaction of the other.

Parental acceptance-rejection is claimed to affect one's personality, including the psychological adjustment and couple relationship (Rohner, 2016). One's self differentiation is formed in the family of origin is of predominant importance in inter-personal relationship and particularly to couple intimacy (Bowen, 1978). In adulthood, self-differentiation characterizes the ability to emotionally regulate, to establish intimate relation and to experience satisfaction in couple relationship.

Another aspect formulating from the relationships with attachment figures is the caregiving system, a complementary behavioral system to the attachment system aimed to protect, support and assist to the other in need or in distress. In a couple relationship context in adulthood, the ability to provide sensitive caregiving response to their partners attachment needs are likely to feel more satisfied in their relationship.

Method

Participants: 142 couples in the age range of 22-42 who answers 5 self-report questionnaires online: RAS assessing relationship satisfaction; DIS assessing levels of differentiation of self; Couple Caregiving assessment; PARQ assessing adults' reflection on their childhood experiences of maternal and paternal acceptance-rejection, and a demographic questionnaire.

The first hypothesis, which postulated a positive association between parental acceptance-rejection and self-differentiation, was partially confirmed. A positive correlation was found only between maternal acceptance-rejection and self-differentiation but not with paternal acceptance-rejection. The second hypothesis that postulated a positive correlation between parental acceptance-rejection and responsive caregiving, was fully confirmed for women whereas for men a significant correlation was found only between maternal acceptance-refection but not with the paternal. The third hypothesis, which posited a positive correlation between self-differentiation and responsive caregiving, was fully confirmed. The fourth hypothesis, which postulated a positive correlation between responsive caregiving and relationship satisfaction was also confirmed likewise the fifth and sixth hypothesizes which theorized positive correlations between responsive caregiving of one partner to the relationship satisfaction of the other. The seventh hypothesis presupposed a positive correlation between relationship satisfaction of both partners and was also confirmed.

The examination of the research model for women showed that responsive caregiving fully mediates the association between maternal acceptance-rejection and relationship satisfaction. In addition, the man's relationship satisfaction contributed to the woman's satisfaction from the relationship. For men it was found that maternal acceptance-rejection association to relationship satisfaction is partially mediated by one's self-differentiation while the relation between self-differentiation to relationship satisfaction if fully mediated by the man's responsive caregiving. Similarly, the woman's relationship satisfaction contributed to the man's one.

The study findings constitute a significant contribution on both theoretical and practical levels. Theoretically, the importance of the findings is in its contribution to the understanding of the complexity of relationship satisfaction from the system/family theory and the attachment theory. The research highlights the importance of caregiving and its origins in understanding relationship satisfaction as well as the distinct impact self-differentiation has on men and women regarding relationship satisfaction. On the clinical level, the study findings may help develop therapeutic interventions for couples experiencing difficulties in their relationship by focusing on the childhood attachment representations as well as current caregiving dynamics in the relationship.