Intergenerational Transfer of Early Maladaptive Mother–Daughter Schemas: The Mediating Role of Temperament and Perceived Parenting Experiences
Keywords:
Intergenerational relations, Early maladaptive schemas, Temperament, Parenting, structural equation modelingAbstract
Objective: This study aimed to develop a structural model of the intergenerational transmission of early maladaptive schemas from mothers to daughters, mediated by temperament and perceived parenting experiences.
Methodology: The study employed a descriptive–correlational design using structural equation modeling. The statistical population included female students at Ferdowsi University of Mashhad and their mothers. A total of 218 participants were selected through convenience sampling. Data were collected using the Young Schema Questionnaire (YSQ), the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), and the Young Parenting Inventory (YPI). After excluding incomplete responses, 200 valid datasets were analyzed using SPSS and AMOS software.
Findings: Results indicated a satisfactory model fit after excluding the temperament variable. Mothers’ maladaptive schemas were significantly related to daughters’ maladaptive schemas both directly and indirectly through perceived parenting styles (β=0.291, P<0.001). The final structural model showed acceptable fit indices (χ²/df=2.14, RMSEA=0.07, CFI=0.93, GFI=0.93).
Conclusion: The findings suggest that daughters’ perceived parenting experiences mediate the transmission of maladaptive schemas from mothers to daughters. These results underscore the importance of parenting perceptions in intergenerational schema continuity and provide a conceptual basis for designing effective parenting interventions to prevent maladaptive schema formation.
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