Parentification and satisfaction of psychological needs in romantic relationships: The mediating role of relational attitudes

Objective

We examined the association between adult women's reports of parentification during childhood and the extent to which basic psychological needs are satisfied in romantic relationships. We also explored the mediating role of sense of relational entitlement, pathological concern, and authenticity in relational contexts.

Background

Negative implications of adults' sense of being parentified as children have been observed in relational feelings, cognitions, and behavior.

Method

A convenience sample of 225 Israeli young adult women completed self-report scales tapping retrospective accounts of parentification, basic psychological needs in romantic relationships, sense of relational entitlement, pathological concern, and relational authenticity. The data were analyzed with Pearson correlations and a mediation analysis.

Results

Parentification was associated with lower levels of need satisfaction and authenticity within romantic relationships and higher levels of pathological concern and either a restricted or inflated sense of relational entitlement. An inflated sense of relational entitlement and lack of authenticity mediated the association between women's reports of parentification and the extent to which they feel their personal needs are satisfied in romantic relationships.

Conclusion

Women who feel parentified during childhood tend to show negative expectations of relational mutuality and experience difficulties in disclosing their personal needs and wishes to a partner, which seem to lead them to feel that their basic psychological needs are not satisfied in romantic relationships.

Implications

Findings highlight the problematic nature of feelings of being parentified as children and the importance of helping people who hold these feeling to communicate their relational needs to a romantic partner.