The Moderating Role of Reflective Functioning in The Relationship Between Perceived Parental Acceptance-Rejection and Emotion Regulation in Adolescents

Document Type : Scientific-research

Authors

1 Master of Family Clinical Psychology, Family Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran.

2 Assistant Professor of Psychology, Family Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

Aim: The aim of the current study was to determine the moderating role of reflective functioning in the relationship between perceived parental acceptance-rejection and emotion regulation in adolescents.
 
Method: This research was a correlational study. The statistical population included Iranian students aged 14-18 years. Data were collected through convenience sampling from 400 adolescents who completed a series of online questionnaires: Fonagy et al.'s Reflective Functioning Questionnaire (2016), the short form of Rohner's Parental Acceptance-Rejection Questionnaire (2005), and Gratz and Roemer's (2004) Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data.
 
Results: There was a positive and significant relationship between perceived parental rejection and the uncertainty dimension of reflective functioning with difficulties in emotion regulation in adolescents. Conversely, the certainty dimension had a negative and significant relationship with difficulties in emotion regulation. The certainty dimension of reflective functioning moderated the relationship between perceived parental rejection and difficulties in emotion regulation, while the uncertainty dimension did not.
 
Conclusion: Adolescents with a higher level of reflective functioning can better cope with the effects of parental rejection. Therefore, improving reflective functioning should be a focus for therapists working with children, adolescents, and in parent-child relationships.

Keywords

Main Subjects


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