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Mommy Dearest: How Relationships Shape You

Psychologists Find Mother-Child Relationships Early on Linked to Behavior in Adult Relationships

September 1, 2011

Psychologists found that an individual’s relationship with his or her partner can have strong roots in how he or she was treated as a small child. The study found that adults who were raised in a sensitive, non-controlling manner at 18 months were more willing to share their feelings with their partners and friends as an adult. On the other hand, those experiencing controlling and less affectionate care-giving were more insecure in adult relationships.

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Science Insider

NATURE VS NURTURE: This refers to an ongoing debate about the forces that form a person’s individuality. Those on the side of ‘nature’ believe that genes dictate personality; we are born with our behaviors. Those who argue for ‘nurture’ believe that personalities are shaped by our environment and personal experiences. To this day, there is no consensus about which has a greater influence on a person.

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Mothering styles can predict adult relationships, study says

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Vivian Zayas
Assistant Professor
Psychology
Cornell University

© 2011 American Institute of Physics