Parental acceptance-rejection and brain network connectivity: A naturalistic neuroimaging study

Guided by interpersonal acceptance-rejection theory (IPARTheory), this study investigated whether young adults' memories of parental acceptance in childhood (feeling loved and cared about) versus memories of parental rejection (feeling unloved and not cared about) are associated with intrinsic brain connectivity. Forty participants (Mage = 19 years) completed self-report measures and underwent fMRI scanning watching naturalistic video stimuli. One group reported having been accepted by both parents in childhood and described themselves as psychologically well-adjusted (AcceptedAdjusted, n = 20). The other group reported having been rejected by both parents and self-identified as psychologically maladjusted (RejectedMaladjusted, n = 20). Analyses focused on brain networks involved in emotion regulation, cognitive control, and self-referential processing, including the salience, default mode, and frontoparietal networks. Participants in the AcceptedAdjusted group showed stronger functional connectivity among key regions within these networks, suggesting more coordinated emotional and cognitive processing. In contrast, the RejectedMaladjusted group exhibited weaker connectivity across these systems and heightened connectivity within default mode regions, a pattern often linked to self-focused rumination and challenges in regulating emotional responses. Additionally, parental rejection in childhood was linked to altered connectivity patterns involving key brain regions such as the amygdala, anterior cingulate cortex, and insula. Together, these findings suggest that memories of early parental experiences shape the organization of large-scale brain networks related to emotional and psychological functioning.