The Role of Parental Bonding Perception in Predicting Communication Patterns of Couples

Parental bonding perception leads to different domains in future life. The goal of this study was to investigate the role of parental bonding perception in predicting the communication patterns of couples in Tehran.

This correlational and descriptive study was done on 338 individuals in Tehran, Iran who voluntarily participated in the research in 2016. Communication Pattern Questionnaire (CPQ) and Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI) were used to collect data. Pearson correlation method and multiple regression were used for data analysis using the SPSS v. 22 software.

Data revealed that in the husband group, father care was the only predictor of higher scores of the mutual constructive communication pattern. In the group of wives, father indifference was the predictor of lower scores of constructive communication pattern and mother encouragement of dependency was the predictor of the higher scores of the constructive communication pattern. Mother encouragement of autonomy was the only predictor of lower scores of husband demand/ wife withdraws but no variable predicted wife demand/ husband withdraw pattern. In addition, fathers’ encouragement of autonomy in husbands was predictive of spouses’ constructive communication patterns. Also, fathers’ encouragement of autonomy in husbands was predictive of spouses’ constructive communication patterns.

The association between parental bonding perception and couple’s communication patterns highlight the importance of early years of childhood and parent-child relationship in future life.