Adult attachment and acceptance-rejection in Colombia and Spain: maternal and paternal contributions across contexts

This study examined adult attachment and perceived parental acceptance-rejection in Colombia and Spain, focusing on country differences and on whether country moderated the associations between perceived maternal and paternal rejection and adult attachment dimensions.

Participants were 283 adults born in Colombia (n = 143) or Spain (n = 140). They completed the Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised scale and the Parental Acceptance-Rejection Questionnaire. Measurement invariance was supported across countries.

Colombian participants reported higher attachment anxiety [t(276.46) = 6.15, p < 0.001, d = 0.73], direct avoidance [t(279.28) = 3.31, p = 0.001, d = 0.39], maternal rejection [t(255.47) = 7.40, p < 0.001, d = 0.88], and paternal rejection [t(280.74) = 5.45, p < 0.001, d = 0.65] than Spanish participants. Perceived parental rejection was associated with greater attachment insecurity, although the pattern differed across attachment dimensions with paternal rejection showing the most consistent associations. Country moderated the association between paternal rejection and attachment anxiety and direct avoidance. Slope contrasts indicated that these associations were stronger among Colombian than Spanish participants for attachment anxiety (Δβ = 0.345, p = 0.005, adjusted p = 0.010) and direct avoidance (Δβ = 0.368, p = 0.006, adjusted p = 0.012).

These findings suggest that the links between perceived parental rejection and adult attachment may vary across cultural contexts and highlight the importance of considering paternal relationships in cross-cultural attachment research.