Memories of parental rejection and fear of intimacy: the role of psychological maladjustment, interpersonal anxiety, and rejection by an intimate Partner

Grounded in interpersonal acceptance-rejection theory (IPARTheory), this study examined the relationship between recollections of parental rejection during childhood and fear of intimacy during adulthood, as mediated by psychological maladjustment and interpersonal anxiety, and as moderated by intimate partner rejection. A sample of 253 Iranians completed the Persian translations of the measures of paternal, maternal, and intimate partner acceptance-rejection, fear of intimacy, interpersonal anxiety, and psychological maladjustment. Results of the mediation and moderation analyses using PROCESS Macro revealed that psychological maladjustment mediated the relationship between recollections of maternal and paternal rejection and fear of intimacy. Interpersonal anxiety only mediated the relationship between recollections of maternal rejection and fear of intimacy. Lastly, intimate partner’s rejection only moderated the direct effect of maternal rejection on fear of intimacy. These finding build onto the existing IPARTheory literature and provide valuable insights for clinical application.