Intergenerational transmission of reciprocal role procedures, personality integrity and self-esteem in fathers and sons

Abstract

Substantial past research has focused on the importance of the relationship and attachment styles of and between mothers and children. However, research into the domain of reciprocal roles, personality integrity and self-esteem that addresses in particular the relationship between fathers and sons, remains extremely sparse. This study was designed to assess the intergenerational transmission of reciprocal role procedures (RRPs), personality integrity and self-esteem between father–son and mother–son dyads. The study consisted of 36 family triads (mother/father/son), with 108 participants in total. The States Descriptions Procedure Questionnaire, The Personality Structure Questionnaire and The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Questionnaire were administered and qualitative data generated through compiling responses into common themes. Fathers and sons were not found to have more similar RRPs than mothers and sons. However, consistent with the findings of other studies, evidence for the intergenerational transmission of personality integrity and self-esteem scores was found between parents and sons in addition to a negative correlation between personality integration (personality disturbance) and self-esteem scores. The therapeutic implications, limitations and avenues for future research are also discussed.

Keywords:

• intergenerational transmission
• reciprocal role procedures
• Cognitive Analytic Theory
• fathers and sons
• personality integrity
• self-esteem