Trans-generational transfer of early maladaptive schemas - A preliminary study performed on a non-clinical group

Abstract

background The maladaptive schemas theory assumes the creation of schemas as a result of relationships with parents during childhood. The aim of the study was to answer questions about the relations between dysfunctional parents' schemas and their parental attitudes and their children's schemas. participants and procedure Eighty people participated in the study: 20 full families with grown children: A daughter and a son. The Questionnaire of Retrospective Assessment of Parental Attitudes (KPR-Roc) by Plopa and the Young Schema Questionnaire in its short form (YSQ-S3) were used. results The results indicate that in the case of daughters the relationships between parental attitudes and schemas relate primarily to the perception of the mother's attitudes. The strongest positive relationship between maladaptive daughter's schemas were in relation to an excessively demanding attitude of the mother. There were no relations between the perception of the father's attitudes and schemas of daughters. In the case of boys there were less significant correlations for both the perception of the mother and father. With regard to the relationship between parents' schemas and children's schemas, such mothers' schemas as defectiveness, vulnerability to harm or illness and absolute severity and such fathers' schemas as defectiveness, entanglement and self-sacrifice showed especially strong links with daughters' schemas. The strongest relationships with sons' schemas occurred in relation to the mother's schema connected with pessimism and the father's vulnerability to harm. conclusions Young's schemas theory seems to be significant from the perspective of understanding intergenerational transfers of beliefs and accompanying behaviours.