What Will My Parents Say? An Empirical Enquiry into the Relationship Between Perceived Parental Attitudes toward Dating and Fear of Intimacy

Abstract

Background: Parental approval and attitudes play a significant role in the outcome of romantic relationships in collectivist cultures. At the same time, fear of intimacy hinders the development of healthy romantic relationships irrespective of culture. Aim: This research examines the relationship between the perception of parental attitudes (PPA) towards dating and the fear of intimacy (FOI) experienced by young adults. Method: Data was collected from 200 young adults between 18-25 years. Correlational analysis was used to ascertain the nature of the relationship between the two variables. Results: Findings suggested a significant, positive relationship between perceived parental attitudes towards dating and fear of intimacy (r =.394). There was a significant difference between the PPA of females (M= 64.03, SD= 12.671) and males (M= 56.37, SD= 10.694) at t (165) = 3.212, p = 0.002 Conclusion: An individual’s experience of fear of intimacy can be related to the perception of their parent’s attitudes towards dating as highlighted by the study.