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Spousal Rejection as a Risk Factor for Parental Rejection of Children

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Abstract

Limited information is available about the international generalizability of the common conclusion that marital discord tends to be associated with problematic parenting. Pakistan is a sociocultural context known for a high frequency of marital distress. Accordingly, this study draws from a sample of 270 Pakistani families with children between the ages of 9 to 13 years (M = 11.21 years). In this study we explore the question: Are Pakistani children’s perceptions of maternal and/or paternal rejection related to their parents’ perceptions of spousal rejection? Results of a hierarchical multiple regression analyses showed that wives’ perceptions of husbands’ rejection predicted children’s perceptions of maternal rejection, as well as—but to a significantly lesser extent—children’s perceptions of paternal rejection. Similarly, husbands’ perceptions of wives’ rejection predicted children’s perceptions of paternal rejection, as well as—but to a significantly lesser extent—children’s perceptions of maternal rejection. Results of this research, along with the slim body of prior international research, suggests that the concept of “spillover effect” used to explain the association between spousal rejection and parental rejection may have widespread international applicability.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, GC University, Lahore, Pakistan

    Farah Malik

  2. Human Development and Family Studies, University of Connecticut, Unit 2058, Storrs, CT, 06269-2058, USA

    Ronald P. Rohner

Authors
  1. Farah Malik
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  2. Ronald P. Rohner
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Correspondence to Ronald P. Rohner.

Additional information

Farah Malik thanks the Fulbright International Educational Exchange Program for the opportunity to complete this research while she was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Ronald and Nancy Rohner Center for the Study of Interpersonal Acceptance and Rejection at the University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT.

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Malik, F., Rohner, R.P. Spousal Rejection as a Risk Factor for Parental Rejection of Children. J Fam Viol 27, 295–301 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-012-9425-5

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