DOI: 10.17066/tpdrd.1680496 ISSN: 1302-1370

Self-Understanding and Perceived Parental Acceptance-Rejection Levels of Individuals in Young Adulthood Predict the Level of Satisfaction of Relational Needs

Begüm Bartan, Yildiz Öztan Ulusoy
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This study examined the predictive roles of self-understanding and perceived parental acceptance–rejection in relational need satisfaction among young adults within the Turkish cultural context. Employing a descriptive relational survey design, data were collected from 531 young adults (392 females, 139 males) aged 18–26 years using the Adult Perceived Parental Acceptance–Rejection Scale–Short Form, the Self-Comprehension Scale, and the Relational Needs Satisfaction Scale. Multiple regression analyses revealed that perceived maternal rejection, perceived paternal rejection, and self-understanding significantly predicted relational need satisfaction. Higher levels of self-understanding were associated with greater satisfaction of relational needs, whereas higher levels of perceived parental rejection predicted lower relational need satisfaction. These findings suggest that internal self-related processes and early caregiving experiences jointly contribute to relational functioning in emerging adulthood. Additional analyses comparing participants aged 18–21 and 22–26 indicated meaningful developmental differences in relational patterns across the early and later phases of emerging adulthood. The findings support theoretical perspectives emphasizing that early parent–child interactions shape later psychosocial adjustment while self-understanding functions as an intrapersonal regulatory resource distinct from, yet related to, self-compassion. Given the cross-sectional design and reliance on self-report measures, causal inferences cannot be drawn. Nevertheless, the results highlight the importance of culturally sensitive approaches to understanding relational needs and offer implications for psychoeducational and preventive interventions targeting the relational well-being of young adults.

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