Parents as models for partners’ relational competences: Theoretical bases and empirical findings

The present chapter is aimed at a) examining theoretical and empirical contributions on the influences of the experiences occurred within the family of origin on partners’ relational competences; and b) presenting findings from two recent studies examining parent-adult child similarities on dyadic coping and dyadic forgiveness. In particular, it presents several theoretical approaches (intergenerational family systems theory, attachment theory, social learning theory and socialization theory), in which the existence of intergenerational linkages from the family of origin to children’s couple relationship has been considered as a key assumption, and some models of the effects of family of origin variables on the offspring’s couple relationship that are grounded on such theoretical frameworks. Following this review of intergenerational theories and models, two recent empirical studies will be presented in which parent-child similarities were analyzed with reference to two key relational competences for couples: dyadic coping and dyadic forgiveness. Results of these studies highlighted how parents play a key role of models for children’s adult romantic relationship, though children in turn take an active role in discriminating between positive and negative parental models.