Emotional dependency and early maladaptive schemas: Comparative study between Spain and Colombia in couple relationships

Introduction and objectives: The objective of this research was to analyze the differences in emotional dependence, cognitive schemes and characteristics of an ideal couple between a Spanish sample and a Colombian sample, as well as the relationship between emotional dependence and cognitive schemes. Material and methods: The sample consisted of 1975 school and university students of which 55.34% came from Spain and 44.66% from Colombia. Self-report questionnaires were used to measure emotional dependence, cognitive patterns and characteristics of the ideal couple. Results: It was found that Spanish students scored higher in Need for Exclusivity, while Colombians scored higher in Need for Pleasantness. No differences were found in Total Dependence between both samples. Likewise, the cognitive schemes that most correlated with emotional dependence were Subjugation, Attachment and Grandiosity. Finally, the most valued characteristics of a couple in both samples were respect, humour and intelligence. Conclusions: These results show the relationship between emotional dependence and cognitive schemes, as well as the cultural differences with respect to the measured variables. These results may be useful for intervention and prevention in young people. (C) 2019 Sociedad Espanola para el Estudio de la Ansiedad y el Estres - SEAS. Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L.U. All rights reserved.