Relations between Parental Acceptance-Rejection and Forgiveness/Vengeance as Mediated by Psychological Adjustment among Egyptian Adults.

The study investigated relations among parental (maternal and paternal) acceptance-rejection and dispositions toward forgiveness and vengeance, as mediated by psychological (mal)adjustment. Data were collected using convenience sampling from 341 adults (87% females) ranging from 18 years to above 52 years old. Measures used were short forms of the maternal and paternal Adult Parental Acceptance-Rejection Questionnaires (PARQ) to investigate recollections of parental acceptance-rejection, the short form of the Adult Personality Assessment Questionnaire (PAQ) to evaluate which participants were psychologically (mal)adjusted, the Heartland Forgiveness Scale (HFS), the Vengeance Scale (VS-10) to investigate levels of forgiveness and vengeance respectively, and a Personal Information Form (PIF). The results indicated that participants perceived significant signs of paternal rejection and substantial maternal acceptance during childhood. Men and women self-reported fair psychological adjustment. Women reported having no disposition toward vengeance, whereas men slightly leaned toward vengeance. Participants were equally likely to be unforgiving as forgiving. Psychological adjustment mediated the relations between maternal acceptance (but not paternal acceptance) and forgiveness among men and women. Psychological maladjustment mediated the relations between maternal rejection and vengeance among women, but not men. Psychological maladjustment did not mediate relations between paternal rejection and vengeance. Limitations and implications of the findings are discussed.

Attachment style and prenatal expectations from a bayesian perspective / Estilo de apego y expectativas prenatales desde una aproximación bayesiana

BACKGROUND: The transition to motherhood is sometimes characterized by ambivalent emotions. This paper attempts to explore whether this transition may be triggering attachment insecurities in first-time pregnant women during their first trimester, and thus affecting their prenatal expectations and caregiving representations. METHOD: A sample of 100 first-time pregnant women during their first trimester was studied. Prenatal expectations were explored in terms of desire to have children (DTC), perceived ability to relate to children (PARC), personal meaning ascribed to motherhood, and preoccupations regarding becoming a mother. RESULTS: The estimated Bayesian network shows that attachment style is a predictor for prenatal expectations, either directly or indirectly. Results also suggest that PARC mediates the relationship between attachment and the preoccupations related to motherhood. Pregnant women with an insecure attachment style reported lower PARC and higher preoccupations about becoming a mother. CONCLUSION: Pregnant women with secure attachment have more positive pre-parenthood expectations and parenting representations than those with insecure attachment. These results may be useful in clinical settings to help women have a smoother transition to motherhood

ANTECEDENTES: la transición hacia la maternidad está caracterizada en algunos casos por emociones ambivalentes. Este artículo trata de explorar si esta transición puede desencadenar inseguridad en el apego de mujeres embarazadas primerizas durante su primer trimestre, y esto afecta las expectativas prenatales y las representaciones de cuidado. MÉTODO: una muestra de 100 mujeres embarazadas primerizas fue estudiada durante el primer trimestre. Las expectativas prenatales fueron exploradas en términos de deseo de tener niños (DTC), habilidad percibida para relacionarse con niños (PARC), sentido atribuido a la maternidad y preocupaciones relacionadas con ser madre. RESULTADOS: la red bayesiana estimada muestra que el estilo de apego predice las expectativas prenatales, tanto directa como indirectamente. Los resultados también sugieren que PARC media la relación entre apego y las preocupaciones hacia la maternidad. Las mujeres embarazadas con un estilo de apego inseguro reportan menor PARC y mayores preocupaciones relacionadas con convertirse en madres. CONCLUSIONES: las mujeres embarazadas con apego seguro tienen expectativas prenatales y representaciones parentales más positivas que aquellas con apego inseguro. Estos resultados pueden ser útiles en situaciones clínicas para ayudar a que las mujeres tengan una transición más satisfactoria a la maternidad

Attachment style and prenatal expectations from a Bayesian perspective.

BACKGROUND: The transition to motherhood is sometimes characterized by ambivalent emotions. This paper attempts to explore whether this transition may be triggering attachment insecurities in first-time pregnant women during their first trimester, and thus affecting their prenatal expectations and caregiving representations. METHOD: A sample of 100 first-time pregnant women during their first trimester was studied. Prenatal expectations were explored in terms of desire to have children (DTC), perceived ability to relate to children (PARC), personal meaning ascribed to motherhood, and preoccupations regarding becoming a mother. RESULTS: The estimated Bayesian network shows that attachment style is a predictor for prenatal expectations, either directly or indirectly. Results also suggest that PARC mediates the relationship between attachment and the preoccupations related to motherhood. Pregnant women with an insecure attachment style reported lower PARC and higher preoccupations about becoming a mother. CONCLUSION: Pregnant women with secure attachment have more positive pre-parenthood expectations and parenting representations than those with insecure attachment. These results may be useful in clinical settings to help women have a smoother transition to motherhood.