Echoes of Fulfillment

This dissertation explores the profound impact of unmet emotional needs during childhood on adult romantic relationships. Drawing on affirmation theory, it investigates how dysfunctional parent-child relationships, characterized by a lack of parental responsiveness and emotional support, contribute to unmet emotional needs and maladaptive developmental trajectories. The research underscores the importance of understanding childhood experiences in shaping adult psychosocial functioning and relationship dynamics. The first study employs mixed methods to examine the connections between childhood unmet emotional needs, adult psychosocial functioning, and romantic relationship quality. While quantitative analyses reveal direct effects of parental nurturance on adult psychosocial functioning and subsequent implications for adult romantic relationship quality, covariate analyses signified contextual factors such as income and number of children in romantic relationship quality. The qualitative findings provided empirical support for several tenets of affirmation theory while also revealing novel insights. These insights included the identification of parental constraints and the observation of individual resilience following experiences of unmet emotional needs. The second study delves into the relational dynamics of couples affected by one partner's unmet emotional needs during childhood. It uncovers a model of progression in couples' interactions, highlighting the role of corrective experiences and resilience in fostering relational growth and stability. Surprising findings challenge prevailing theoretical models, suggesting implications of multifinality and posttraumatic growth in understanding the diverse pathways stemming from childhood adversity. Integrating findings of the first and second studies offers a nuanced understanding of the complexities of intimate relationships and underscores the importance of addressing childhood influences in promoting healthy adult functioning and relationship satisfaction.