The role of sources of childhood emotional maltreatment in predicting conditional and unconditional maladaptive schemas in adulthood

Although the distinction between conditional and unconditional schemas by theoretical and clinical application is very important, previous studies have only provided some preliminary evidence for the development of schemas by conditionality, and few studies have examined the distinction between conditional and unconditional schemas. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of sources of childhood emotional maltreatment (parent’s, peer’s and others’ emotional maltreatment in childhood) in predicting of conditional and unconditional schemas in adulthood. For this purpose in a descriptive correlational study, 315 students were selected from students of Tehran universities (University of social welfare and rehabilitation science, Khajenasir University, Shahid Beheshti University, Azad University, Payame Noor University) with available sampling selected and were examined on life experiences and maladaptive schemas questionnaires. The result of multiple regression analysis showed that parent’s and peer’s emotional maltreatment predicted unconditional schemas and parent’s, peer’s and other’s emotional maltreatment predicted conditional schemas in college students. It seems that, maltreatment of sources that are more persistence and intensity in the person’s life, are stronger predictors in predicting conditional and unconditional schemas. Because sources of maltreatment that have a role in developing unconditional schemas, certainly have also a role in predicting conditional schemas.