Relationship between inefficiency of origin family and the interdependence of women: Interfering role of university education

The purpose of current research was to determine the relationship between insufficiency of family of origin and women’s codependency, and to discover the moderating role of higher education in this relationship.

Research method was correlation analysis and Population included women in Tehran. From women lived in the districts 4 and 7 of Tehran, 140 women were selected according to the convenience sampling and filled in Spann-Fischer codependency scale (Fischer, Spann & Crawford, 1991) and Family Assessment Scale (Epstein, Baldwin, & Bishop, 1983).

The results showed that the mean of codependency among women with higher education was lower than others. Although all types of insufficiencies of family of origin were associated with codependency, but only insufficiencies in roles and communications had stronger correlations. Moreover, higher education was moderated the relationship between insufficiency of family of origin and codependency and this relationship was only significant among women without higher education.

Higher education by reinforcing sense of identity, self-confidence, self-esteem, and cognitive empowerment can help women not to transfer their problems of family of origin to their adulthood. It is essential to investigate the role of higher education in applied women’s studies