The relationship between early maladaptive schemas, attachment styles and romantic relationship tendencies in individuals aged 18 and over: An analysis within the framework of the Schema Therapy Model

It is supposed that determining the romantic relationship tendencies of adults and the variables associated with these tendencies play an important role in solving relationship problems. It is known that an individual's relationships in adulthood are highly correlated with early life experiences such as attachment styles and early maladaptive schemas. In this direction, the current study aimed to examine the relationship between romantic relationship tendencies, early maladaptive schemas, and adult attachment styles of individuals over the age of 18. In the current study, 451 participants between the ages of 18-73 and having a current romantic relationship were reached via Google Forms. The Young Schema Scale Short Form (YSQ-S3), the Experiences in Close Relationships Scale-II (ECR-II), and the Multidimensional Relationship Questionnaire (MRQ) were used to measure the variables. T-test for independent samples and ANOVA methods were used to determine whether early maladaptive schemas, attachment styles, and romantic relationship tendencies differ according to the sociodemographic characteristics of individuals. However, Pearson's r correlation analysis method was used to determine the relationships between the variables, and Multiple Linear Regression Analysis was applied to further analyze the predictive power of early maladaptive schemas associated with romantic relationship tendencies. Research findings show that romantic relationship tendencies, early maladaptive schemas, and attachment styles differ according to the relationship status (married or in a relationship), relationship duration, and other sociodemographic characteristics; showed that some of the romantic relationship tendencies were negatively related to early maladaptive schemas and attachment styles, and some were positively related. In addition, all romantic relationship tendencies were significantly predicted by early maladaptive schemas. The research findings were discussed in the light of the relevant literature, and some suggestions were presented for researchers and practitioners who will work on this topic in the future.