The impact of parental divorce and interparental conflict on young adult offspring´s expectationsdoes history of attachement miti/gate the possible effects?

Resumen

The main goal of this study was to analyze the relative influence of parental divorce and interparental conflict on young adult children´s expectations towards couple relationships. We also aimed to examine whether attachment history with both parents mitigates the effects of these family experiences. To that end, 1078 university and vocational training school students completed a questionnaire related to the variables subject to study. 16% of the sample belonged to divorced families and the remaining belonged to non-divorced families. Results indicated that high levels of interparental conflict have a greater predictive ability on the development of negative expectations towards intimate relationships, in interaction with attachment history with father. That is, history of attachment with father moderated the effects of high levels of interparental conflict on young adult offspring´s expectations, such that the association between low interparental conflict and expectations was stronger for those with an insecure attachment history. In the association between high levels of conflict and expectations, attachment history made no difference. In conclusion, these results do not support previous studies in which parental divorce has been found to predict negative expectations towards couple relationships among adult children of divorce. Interparental conflict did predict lower expectations. Nevertheless, contrary to our predictions, a secure attachment history did not reduce the negative effects of high levels of conflict. These data suggest the need of implementing preventive and intervention programs aimed at couples with children. These would help reduce dysfunctional relationship patterns that might be intergenerationally transmitted.