Abstract
This study examined the extent to which young adults’ recollections of their childhood experiences with parents were associated with their reported feelings and behavior in romantic relationships. Participants were 205 young adults. Based on a question from the Adult Attachment Interview (George, Kaplan, & Main, 1996), participants wrote adjectives that described their childhood relationships with each parent as well as childhood incidents that illustrated those adjectives. Participants’ feelings and behavior in romantic relationships were assessed with Brennan and Shaver’s (1995) Adult Attachment Scales. Those who were rated as having more positive and loving relationships with mothers were more trusting and were more likely to seek comfort from their romantic partners during times of distress and to “open up” to them. Similarly, those who were rated as having more positive and loving relationships with fathers were also more likely to seek comfort from their romantic partners and were more comfortable relying on their partners.
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