The Relationship between Perceived Parental Rejection and Dating Anxiety: The Mediating Role of Interpersonal Cognitive Distortions

The aim of this study was to examine the mediating role of interpersonal cognitive distortions between perceived parental rejection and dating anxiety in emerging adults. The study also examined whether gender and grade level also differ in terms of dating anxiety. Participants were 574 (334 women, 240 men) university students studying in a state university in Turkey who were reached with stratified sampling method. The data were collected with Adult Parental Acceptance-Rejection Questionnaire-Short Form, Dating Anxiety Scale and Interpersonal Cognitive Distortions Scale. The results of the study showed positive correlations between perceived parental rejection and dating anxiety and interpersonal cognitive distortions. According to the path analysis results, interpersonal cognitive distortions were partial mediator in relationship between perceived maternal rejection and dating anxiety. However, it was found that paternal rejection had a direct effect on dating anxiety, and cognitive distortions did not have a mediating role on this relationship. It was found that dating anxiety did not differ significantly in terms of gender, while it differed in terms of grade level. Warmth and acceptance centred parent-child relationship can be considered as a protective factor that can increase the dating anxiety by increasing the cognitive distortions.