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Repressive coping and self-reports of parenting.
L B Myers1, C R Brewin, D A Winter
1Department of Psychiatry & Behavioural Sciences, University College London, UK.
The British Journal of Clinical Psychology
|April 23, 1999
Summary
Women with a repressive coping style reported more positive childhood experiences with their fathers compared to non-repressors. This study highlights how coping mechanisms influence self-perception of parental relationships.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Coping Mechanisms
- Childhood Development
Background:
- Repressive coping style is characterized by low anxiety and high defensiveness.
- Understanding how coping styles influence perceptions of early life experiences is crucial in developmental psychology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if women with a repressive coping style self-report more positive childhood judgments than non-repressors.
- To compare questionnaire and repertory grid measures of childhood perception between repressors and non-repressors.
Main Methods:
- Comparison of repressors (low anxiety, high defensiveness) with a composite group of non-repressors.
- Utilized the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI) and a 10x10 repertory grid for data collection.
Main Results:
- Repressors reported higher paternal care and lower paternal overprotection on the PBI compared to non-repressors.
- Repressors perceived themselves and their fathers as closer to positive figures and further from negative figures on the repertory grid.
- Repressors demonstrated tighter construing than non-repressors.
Conclusions:
- Findings support the hypothesis that repressors positively rate paternal interactions on self-report measures.
- Repressive coping style influences the recall and reporting of childhood experiences, particularly paternal relationships.