Parental psychological control, early maladaptive schemas, and romantic attachment in emerging adults

The development of secure romantic relationships is an important developmental task for many emerging adults. Emerging adults who report more secure romantic attachments also report greater overall life satisfaction. The goal of the current study was to identify family-of-origin predictors of romantic attachment styles among emerging adults. College students (n = 288) completed measures of parental psychological control, early maladaptive schemas, and anxious and avoidant romantic attachment. Findings supported a theoretical mediation model where parental psychological control was related to higher rates of anxious and avoidant romantic attachment, and this relationship was mediated by early maladaptive schemas. These findings indicate the importance of considering family-of-origin patterns when examining romantic attachment in emerging adults. Therapists and other helpers may be better able to support the development of secure romantic attachment by also addressing maladaptive schemas that may impact romantic relationship development.