How Early Childhood Experiences May Affect College Students’ Relationships
By Linda Zheng
The Psi Chi (the international honor society for undergraduate students studying psychology) chapter at Minnesota State University, Mankato conducts a research project each year. This year many of us were interested in the effects of negative childhood experiences. We decided to research the question; “How do maladaptive interpersonal schemas (MIS) affect college students’ relationships?”
MIS refer to core beliefs that are developed when basic emotional needs are not met during childhood. All children have basic emotional needs such as security, consistency, emotional support and more. These needs help us develop in a positive and healthy manner. When these basic needs are not met, we may develop negative perceptions and behaviors that could continue throughout life.
Children whose needs are not met by parents or other caregivers may develop trust issues. When we are not able to trust these people or feel betrayed by them, we may develop a mistrust schema, and have an expectation that others in the future will lie, cheat or manipulate us. These negative schemas often influence our ability to have healthy relationships as adults.
College is a critical time during which students develop new relationships, including friendships, family, romantic and professional connections. Having positive relationships with others and having a support system is essential and enhances students’ academic experiences in many ways. But, can college students whose emotional needs were not met as children thrive in relationships as adults?
In our research, college students were asked to report the satisfaction of their relationships regarding communication, trust, self-confidence, mutual respect, intimacy and security. Participants also completed a scale (Young & Brown, 2005) to assess the extent to which they showed maladaptive interpersonal schemas. We found students with higher MIS scores, meaning they had more negative schemas, had lower satisfaction ratings with their relationships, both romantic relationships as well as friendships. Women also had significantly higher MIS scores compared to men, suggesting they are less satisfied in relationships. There is limited research on how MIS scores influence relationship perceptions for diverse samples and future research should seek to better understand these populations who may have different childhood experiences.
Research Poster
Psi Chi students presenting research in 2019
This finding can help in understanding student satisfaction with college. In a world where student retention and graduation rates are keys to success, it is important to be able to provide resources for students in need. If students can be aware and adopt strategies to change unrealistic beliefs, they can better establish reliable relationships during a critical time. There are many types of relationships college students may be trying to maintain, such as long-distance relationships, family relationships, and relationships with professors and employers. If relationship satisfaction helps a college student be more successful, our results can kick off a discussion about the necessary tools that universities can provide.
References
Yoo, G., Park, J. H., & Jun, H. J. (2014). Early maladaptive schemas as predictors of interpersonal orientation and peer connectedness in university students. Social Behavior and Personality: An International Journal, (42)8, 1377-1394 https://doi.org/10.2224/sbp.2014.42.8.1377
Young, J. E. & Brown, G. (2005). Young schema questionnaire-Short form; Version 3.