Lay Beliefs about the Possibility of Finding Enduring Love: A Mediator of the Effect of Parental Relationship Quality on Own Romantic Relationship Quality

This paper tested mechanisms that explain why and how relationship quality between parents might impact on later romantic relationship quality of adult children. In both the pilot (N = 119) and the main (N = 684) study, a model fit the data well whereby perceived "parental relationship quality" predicted "positive lay theories" about romantic love. This, in turn, predicted "secure attachment" to the romantic partner, which in turn predicted "relationship satisfaction" with the romantic relationship. Findings suggest that lay theories about finding enduring love are an important mediator of effects of parental relationships on later adult relationships.