The Relation between Parental Attachment and Romantic Competence of College Students: The Mediating Effects of Cognitive Emotion Regulation Strategies
AUTHOR : 임정하, 김경미
INFORMATION : page. 203~222 / 2022 Vol.29 No.2
ABSTRACT
The aim of this study is to test parallel mediating effects of cognitive emotional regulation strategies in the link from parental attachment security to romantic relationship competence of college students. Participants were recruited from colleges in Seoul and Gyeonggi area. A total of 353 students who were currently in or had any experience of heterosexual romantic relationships, completed self-report online questionnaires. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation analyses, and a parallel mediation test with PROCESS macro 3.4. First, bivariate correlation analyses revealed positive associations among romantic relationship competence, parental attachment security, and adaptive emotion regulation strategy, while negative associations between romantic relationship competence as well as parental attachment security and maladaptive emotion regulation strategy. Also, usage of adaptive emotion regulation strategy was not systematically related with that of maladaptive emotion regulation strategy. Second, a parallel mediating model of cognitive emotion regulation strategies in the link from parental attachment security to romantic relationship competence was supported. That is, college students who were securely attached to their parents tended to use adaptive emotion regulation strategy more and maladaptive emotion regulation strategy less, which in turn was associated with better romantic relationship competence. The findings have implications for counselors to support college students to improve romantic relationship competence.