Parental Bonding and Dyadic Adjustment: The Mediating Role of the Differentiation of Self

Abstract

Emotional connections with significant caregivers greatly influence how individuals perceive themselves and others in intimate relationships. Grounded in the differentiation of self theory, this study examined factors that contribute to the quality of couple relationships. It investigated the association between parental attachment bonds and the quality of romantic attachments, as well as whether differentiation of self processes mediate these relationships. The study involved 480 participants in couple relationships, with an average age of 35.4 years, who completed assessments on parental attachment bonds (using the Parental Bonding Instrument), differentiation of self (using the Differentiation of Self Inventory Revised), and couple functioning (using the Dyadic Adjustment Scale). Structural Equation Modeling analyses revealed that the quality of parental attachment predicted distinct patterns of differentiation of self, which subsequently accounted for significant variability in dyadic adjustment levels. The implications of our findings are discussed.