Suchergebnisse

AbstractParents have multifaceted identities, across dimensions like race/ethnicity, gender, and class, which shape their experience of discrimination. However, little is known about how distress from such multidimensional discrimination influences parenting behavior and parent–adolescent relationships. We tested associations between mothers' multidimensional discrimination distress and parental control (overcontrol and conditional regard) and daughters' attachment, among 82 African American (AA), Hispanic/Latina (HL), and non‐Hispanic White (NHW) mother–adolescent daughter dyads in the United States. Additionally, we examined whether these associations vary by race/ethnicity. Mothers reported their distress due to multidimensional discrimination and adolescents reported mothers' overcontrol, mothers' conditional regard, and adolescents' attachment to mothers. Across racial/ethnic groups, more multidimensional discrimination distress was associated with more maternal overcontrol. Additionally, racial/ethnic groups differed in associations between discrimination, maternal conditional regard, and adolescent attachment, such that AA mothers were buffered from the deleterious effects of discrimination on conditional regard and adolescent attachment. HL mothers were buffered from effects on adolescent attachment and conditional regard for anger expression, but not fear expression. Findings suggest that stigmatized racial/ethnic groups may rely on adaptive cultural practices to parent effectively in the face of multidimensional discrimination distress, but these resources may not be available to NHW mothers.

Abstract
Purpose
Exposure to aggression during childhood or adolescence has been linked to negative outcomes, including poor future romantic relationship functioning. As a step toward understanding such intergenerational influences, the present study investigates whether aggression exposure in the family-of-origin is associated with negative expectancies of romantic partner interactions when facing a challenging couple discussion. Rejection sensitivity is tested as a mediator of this association, and gender was explored as a potential moderator.

Method
Negative expectancies were assessed before a 10-minute discussion about desired changes in the relationship in a sample of young adult dating couples. To test the theorized relationship between variables, the study employed self-report measures of parent aggression, rejection sensitivity, and negative expectancies.

Results
Multilevel analyses showed that exposure to family-of-origin aggression was positively associated with negative expectancies about the upcoming change discussion task, even after controlling for dating aggression within the current relationship. Additionally, rejection sensitivity mediated the association between parent aggression and negative expectancies. Gender did not moderate these associations.

Conclusions
Findings suggest that individuals who experience aggression in their family-of-origin are more likely to anticipate negative interactions with their dating partner during young adulthood. Results also highlight rejection sensitivity as a key mechanism of this process. Taken together, these findings help to explain why some individuals have negative expectancies as they approach difficult discussions with a romantic partner, which may be a putative link in the intergenerational continuity of aggression.