Exploring the Unique Associations of Parent–Adult Child Relationships and Ongoing Parental Romantic Relationships with Adult Children’s Romantic Relationships

Abstract

The present study is the first to examine whether ongoing parental romantic relationship quality, as well as the adult children’s relationship quality with their parents, are uniquely associated with adult children’s romantic relationship dynamics. We use dyadic data from 3,241 families to assess associations between expressions of emotional intimacy and admiration within parents’ romantic relationships, adult children’s romantic relationships, and adult children’s relationships with their parents. Structural equation modeling showed that ongoing parental romantic responsible actions and parent–adult child relationships are both uniquely associated with responsible actions within adult children’s romantic relationships. Important clinical implications are discussed.

Keywords:

• Relationship dynamics
• emotional intimacy
• admiration
• intergenerational transmission
• family-of-origin

Acknowledgments

This paper uses data from the German Family Panel pairfam, coordinated by Josef Brüderl, Sonja Drobnič, Karsten Hank, Franz Neyer, and Sabine Walper. Pairfam is funded as a long-term project by the German Research Foundation (DFG).