Skip to main content
Log in

Effects of Multiple Acceptance and Rejection on Adults’ Psychological Adjustment: A Pancultural Study

  • Published:
Social Indicators Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects on adults’ current psychological adjustment of perceived acceptance or rejection by mothers and fathers in childhood and by intimate partners in adulthood. The sample consisted of 1,709 adults (35 % male and 65 % female), including 1,645 individuals in the multiple acceptance group and 64 in the multiple rejection group. Respondents were selected from a total sample of 2,236 adults in 10 countries including Bangladesh, Colombia, Finland, India, Japan, Korea, Kuwait, Puerto-Rico, Turkey, and the USA. Measures used were the Intimate Partner Acceptance–Rejection/Control Questionnaire (IPAR/CQ), the Adult version of the Parental Acceptance–Rejection/Control Questionnaire for Mothers and Fathers (Adult PARQ/Control: Mothers and Fathers), and the Adult version of the Personality Assessment Questionnaire (Adult PAQ). Results showed that significantly more women than men experienced multiple acceptance, and significantly more men than women reported multiple rejection. Regardless of gender, the majority of respondents in the multiple acceptance group reported healthy psychological adjustment, whereas the majority of respondents in the multiple rejection group reported severe maladjustment.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Chyung, Y., & Lee, J. (2008). Intimate partner acceptance, remembered parental acceptance in childhood, and psychological adjustment among Korean college students in ongoing attachment relationships. Cross-Cultural Research, 42, 77–86.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harris, T. O., Brown, G. W., & Bifulco, A. T. (1990). Depression and situational helplessness/mastery in a sample selected to study childhood parental loss. Journal of Affective Disorders, 20, 27–41.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heller, C. H. (2009). Applications of parental acceptance-rejection theory and evidence to forensic psychology. Interpersonal Acceptance, 3, 1–3.

    Google Scholar 

  • Khaleque, A., & Rohner, R. P. (2002a). Perceived parental acceptance-rejection and psychological adjustment: A meta-analysis of cross-cultural and intercultural studies. Journal of Marriage and Family, 64, 54–64.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Khaleque, A., & Rohner, R. P. (2002b). Reliability of measures assessing the relation between perceived parental acceptance-rejection and psychological adjustment: A meta-analysis of cross-cultural and intracultural studies. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 33, 86–98.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Khaleque, A. & Rohner, R. P. (2011). Pancultural associations between perceived parental acceptance and psychological adjustment of children and adults: A meta-analytic review of worldwide research. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology. doi:10.1177/0022022111406120.

  • Khaleque, A., Rohner, R. P., & Laukkala, H. (2008). Intimate partner acceptance, parental acceptance, behavioral control, and psychological adjustment among Finnish adults in ongoing attachment relationships. Cross-Cultural Research, 42, 35–45.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim, K., & Rohner, R. P. (2002). Parental warmth, control, and involvement in schooling: Predicting academic achievement among Korean American adolescents. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 33, 127–140.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parmer, P., & Rohner, R. P. (2008). Relations among spouse acceptance, remembered parental acceptance in childhood, and psychological adjustment among married adults in India. Cross-Cultural Research, 42, 57.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ripoll-Nunez, K., & Alvarez, C. (2008). Perceived intimate partner acceptance, remembered parental acceptance, and psychological adjustment among Colombian and Puerto Rican youths and adults. Cross-Cultural Research, 42, 23–34.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rohner, R. P. (1980). Worldwide tests of parental acceptance-rejection theory: An overview. Behavior Science Research, 15, 1–21.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rohner, R. P. (1986). The warmth dimension: Foundations of parental acceptance-rejection theory. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rohner, R. P., & Chaki-Sircar, M. (1988). Women and children in a Bengali village. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England. (Reprinted 2011 as e-book; Storrs, CT: Rohner Research Publications).

  • Rohner, R. P., & Khaleque, A. (2003). Reliability and validity of the parental control scale: A meta-analysis of cross-cultural and intercultural studies. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 34, 643–649.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rohner, R. P., & Khaleque, A. (Eds.). (2005). Handbook for the study of parental acceptance and rejection (4th ed.). Storrs, CT: Rohner Research Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rohner, R. P., & Khaleque, A. (2008). Relations between perceived partner and parental acceptance. In J. K. Quinn & I. G. Zambini (Eds.), Family relations: 21st century issues and challenges (pp. 187–197). New York: Nova Science Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rohner, R. P., & Khaleque, A. (2010). Testing the central postulates of parental acceptance-rejection theory (PARTheory): A meta-analysis of cross-cultural studies. Journal of Family Theory & Review, 2, 73–87.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rohner, R. P., Khaleque, A., & Cournoyer, D. E. (2003). Cross-national perspectives on parental acceptance-rejection theory. Marriage and Family Review, 35, 85–105.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rohner, R. P., Khaleque, A., & Cournoyer, D. E. (2005). Parental acceptance-rejection theory, methods, evidence, and implications. Ethos, 33, 299–334.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rohner, R. P., Khaleque, A., & Cournoyer, D. E. (2011). Parental acceptance-rejection theory, methods, evidence, and implications. Retrieved June 2, 2011, from University of Connecticut.

  • Rohner, R. P., Melendez, T., & Kraimer-Rickaby, L. (2008). Intimate partner acceptance, parental acceptance in childhood, and psychological adjustment among American adults in ongoing attachment relationships. Cross-Cultural Research, 42, 13–22.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Abdul Khaleque.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Khaleque, A., Rohner, R.P. Effects of Multiple Acceptance and Rejection on Adults’ Psychological Adjustment: A Pancultural Study. Soc Indic Res 113, 393–399 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-012-0100-2

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-012-0100-2

Keywords

Navigation