Examining self-defining parental relationship memories: The role of perceived parenting style and attachment

The present study investigated the core conflictual relationship themes in self-defining relationship memories with mothers and fathers, and their relationship with attachment and perceived parenting styles of mothers and fathers. It was expected that attachment anxiety, attachment avoidance, parental acceptance/involvement, parental strict control, and participant's gender would be the predictors of core conflictual relationship themes in parental memories. 228 female and 96 male undergraduate students from Boğaziçi University and Yeditepe University filled out Self-Defining Memory Task about their relationship with their mothers and fathers, Experiences in Close Relationships- Revised (ECR-R) Questionnaire, and Parenting Styles Questionnaire for both parents. The analyses were conducted for mother and father memories separately. The results revealed that not participant's gender, but attachment and perceived parenting of the mother were significant predictors of relationship themes in mother memories. In father memories, on the other hand, only gender was found as a significant predictor of relationship themes in relation with the father. The results were discussed based on attachment theory and different parental roles of mothers and fathers in Turkish culture.