Perceived parents’ relationship quality and young adults’ dating experiences
Abstract
Based on the combination of attachment theory, social learning theory and family system theory, the purpose of this survey study is to examine the influence of the quality of interparental relationships on the early dating experiences of young adults, as well as to investigate the mediating role of parent-child bonds in this association. Data was collected from 122 York University undergraduate students (mean age 19.4 years) through an online survey portal (QuestionPro). Perceived parents’ levels of conflict and affection were measured with adapted Children’s Perception of Interparental Conflict Scale (CPIC) and Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS). Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI) was used to measure parent-child bond, while dating experiences were evaluated using Relationship Assessment Scale (RAS) and modified Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS2-Short). Correlational analysis and structural equation modelling (SEM) were conducted to analyze the data. It was found that higher perceived parental conflict predicted worse mother-child and father-child bonds. Neither parental relationship quality nor parent-child bonds significantly predicted relationship satisfaction or constructive conflict behaviours. Mediation effects were not supported. In conclusion, the findings indicate that the early perceptions of parents' relationship quality may not influence young adults’ early dating experiences; however, it may predict the bond between parents and child.
Related
- Associations of Word Recognition in Noise with Perceived Hearing Handicap and Quality of Life in Older Adults with Sensorineural Hearing Loss.
- “Tired but wired” - First-time parents lived experiences of sleep loss, tiredness and wellbeing during the first six months postpartum
- Sickle cell disease screening: Experiences of parents with positive newborns at Korle Bu TeachingHospital
- Ritualized experiences and perceived authenticity in shaping tourists’ willingness to support intangible cultural heritage inheritance
- Perceived importance, self-rated performance satisfaction, learning stress, and practicum experiences among nursing students: A cross-sectional study with supplementary open-ended responses
BibTeX
@misc{vu2026perceived,
title = {{Perceived parents’ relationship quality and young adults’ dating experiences}},
author = {Le Hoai Linh Vu and Aida Fernandez-Jimenez and Savannah M. Bodden and Simran Rooprai and Nicholas Daniel Ramcharran and Michael Petrovski and Aldo Spina and Sintayehu Daba Wami and Joseph FX DeSouza},
howpublished = {PsyArXiv},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.31234/osf.io/s6wkr_v1},
url = {https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/s6wkr_v1/},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Perceived parents’ relationship quality and young adults’ dating experiences
AU - Le Hoai Linh Vu
AU - Aida Fernandez-Jimenez
AU - Savannah M. Bodden
AU - Simran Rooprai
AU - Nicholas Daniel Ramcharran
AU - Michael Petrovski
AU - Aldo Spina
AU - Sintayehu Daba Wami
AU - Joseph FX DeSouza
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/09
PB - PsyArXiv
DO - 10.31234/osf.io/s6wkr_v1
UR - https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/s6wkr_v1/
AB - Based on the combination of attachment theory, social learning theory and family system theory, the purpose of this survey study is to examine the influence of the quality of interparental relationships on the early dating experiences of young adults, as well as to investigate the mediating role of parent-child bonds in this association. Data was collected from 122 York University undergraduate students (mean age 19.4 years) through an online survey portal (QuestionPro). Perceived parents’ levels of conflict and affection were measured with adapted Children’s Perception of Interparental Conflict Scale (CPIC) and Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS). Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI) was used to measure parent-child bond, while dating experiences were evaluated using Relationship Assessment Scale (RAS) and modified Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS2-Short). Correlational analysis and structural equation modelling (SEM) were conducted to analyze the data. It was found that higher perceived parental conflict predicted worse mother-child and father-child bonds. Neither parental relationship quality nor parent-child bonds significantly predicted relationship satisfaction or constructive conflict behaviours. Mediation effects were not supported. In conclusion, the findings indicate that the early perceptions of parents' relationship quality may not influence young adults’ early dating experiences; however, it may predict the bond between parents and child.
ER -