1. Association Between Relationship Quality
and Childhood Trauma in Emerging Adults
Holly George, John Mattscheck, Kathleen Eldridge, PhD & Hannah Parmelee, MS
Pepperdine University
INTRODUCTION METHODS
DISCUSSION & CONCLUSIONS
RESULTS
REFERENCES
ABSTRACT
Holly George
M.A. Clinical Psychology Student
Pepperdine University
Graduate Sch of Educ and Psych
(818) 571-2431
Holly.George@Pepperdine.edu
This study examined the
relationship between the
experience of childhood
trauma and emerging adults’
ability to form and maintain
healthy relationships. Self-
report data was collected over
three consecutive years from
1,904 incoming college
students during new student
orientation. Cross-sectional
analyses were conducted to
determine how trauma is
associated with incoming
college students’ relationship
beliefs, interpersonal skills,
and quality of current
relationships. Results revealed
that there is a significant
negative relationship between
the amount of trauma
experienced, and college
students’ quality of
relationship with their mother,
father, and grandparents.
Results showed that there was
no significant relationship
between the experience of
childhood trauma and college
students’ interpersonal skills
or healthy relationship beliefs.
RQ#1: Relationship between childhood trauma and college
students’ healthy relationship beliefs
• Results indicate there is not a significant effect of childhood trauma on
college students’ healthy relationship beliefs, F(2, 767) = .23, p > .05.
• Data collection took place at a private Christian university in southern
California.
• The data was collected through a self-report survey created by rIQ, a
university-affiliated psychoeducational program that fosters healthy
relationship skills, attitudes, and behaviors in undergraduate students.
The survey was distributed to freshman students for three consecutive
years at new student orientation (2011-2013, n=1,904; 37% male, 61%
female).
• Students reported their relationship quality on likert scale items. The
relationships assessed in this study include mother, father,
grandparents, siblings, and friends.
• Relationship beliefs were reported through true/false responses
regarding topics ranging from conflict to sexual activity which were
scored according to research-supported healthy relationship beliefs.
• Students reported their interpersonal skills on likert scale items. Types
of interpersonal skills assessed include effectively resolving conflict,
working through painful issues successfully, identifying qualities of a
healthy relationship, choosing healthy friends, and expressing feelings
effectively.
• Students reported their experience of trauma through yes/no responses
to events such as parental divorce, substance abuse, sexual abuse,
physical abuse, emotional and mental abuse, and death of a close family
member. Participants were put into groups based on number of traumas
endorsed (One trauma n= 672, Two traumas n= 160, Three or more
traumas n= 64).
• The statistical analyses used in this study were one-way ANOVAs
comparing trauma groups on healthy relationship beliefs, skills, and
quality.
• The experience of childhood trauma has a significant negative relationship with the quality of relationship that participants have with their mothers, fathers, and grandparents. It is hypothesized that this could be related to
“betrayal trauma.” Betrayal trauma occurs when the people that an individual depends on for survival violate his/her trust or wellbeing (Goldsmith et al. 2012). Studies have shown that betrayal trauma negatively impacts
relationships. Further studies would be needed to confirm if betrayal trauma was the cause for the associations found between childhood trauma and relationship qualitywith mothers, fathers, and grandparents.
• Studies have shown that though many individuals who have been exposed to psychological trauma in their childhood are likely to display psychological disorders in adulthood, a significant number of childhood trauma survivors
remain psychologically healthy. This may be attributed to the development of resiliency (Philippe et al., 2011). As there were no significant relationships between the experience of trauma and college students’ interpersonal skills, It
is hypothesized that higher interpersonal skills with more trauma could be related to resiliency, or compensating beliefs that are developed to cope with trauma.
• As there was no significant relationship between childhood trauma and healthy relationship beliefs, it is hypothesized that, if the perpetrators were family members, the trauma survivors resorted to developing healthy relationships
outside of their family to cope with their trauma experience. According to Valentine and Feinauer (1993), developing supportive relationships outside the family were crucial in helping the survivor overcome the trauma experience.
Further, Valentine and Feinauer (1993) revealed that “friendships and the examples of healthy people and families around them helped them to feel supported and gave them a role model to work with.” Further studies would be
needed to confirm whether friends and other relationships outside the family helped childhood trauma survivors develop healthy relationship beliefs.
• Children who are affected by trauma have an increased risk for
developing psychological problems that will impair their
functioning for the duration of their lifespan (Lansford et al.,
2002).
• Two forms of information processing deficits have been
associated with the experience of childhood trauma;
dissociation and alexithymia. Dissociation impairs an
individual’s ability to process emotional, cognitive, and social
information in relation to the self, whereas alexithymia impairs
an individual’s ability to accurately identify and describe
emotional experiences (Goldsmith, Freyd, & Deprince, 2012).
• These deficits in information processing are not only
detrimental to an individual’s psychological health, they also
impair one’s ability to interact effectively with others.
• College students were the focus of this study, as there is
currently a dearth of research exploring the relationship
between the experience of childhood trauma and emerging
adults’ ability to form and maintain healthy relationships.
• The aim of the current study is to determine:
• 1) the relationship between childhood trauma and college
students’ healthy relationship beliefs
• 2) the relationship between childhood trauma and college
students’ interpersonal skills
• 3) associations between childhood trauma and the quality
of college students’ current relationships
• It is hypothesized that that absence of childhood trauma will be
associated with more adaptive relationship beliefs and
interpersonal skills, and better overall quality of current
relationships.
Goldsmith, R. E., Freyd, J. J., & DePrince, A. P. (2012). Betrayal trauma: Associations with psychological and physical symptoms in young adults. Journal Of Interpersonal Violence, 27(3), 547-567.
Lansford, J. E., Dodge, K. A., Pettit, G. S., Bates, J. E., Crozier, J., & Kaplow, J. (2002). A 12-year prospective study of the long-term effects of early child physical maltreatment on psychological, behavioral, and academic problems in adolescence. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 156, 824-830.
Philippe, F. L., Laventure, S., Beaulieu-Pelletier, G., Lecours, S., & Lekes, N. (2011). Ego-resiliency as a mediator between childhood trauma and psychological symptoms. Journal Of Social & Clinical Psychology, 30(6), 583-598.
Valentine, L. & Feinauer, L. L. (1993). Resilience factors associated with female survivors of childhood sexual abuse. American Journal Of Family Therapy, 21(3), 216-224.
Chart 1. Label in 20pt Calibri.
RQ#3: Associations between childhood trauma and the
quality of college students’ current relationships
• There was a significant effect of trauma on how the participants rated
their relationship with their fathers, F(2, 893) = 54.18 = p < .001, mothers,
F(2, 891) = 17.99 = p < .001, and grandparents, F(2, 883) = 8.58 = p < .001.
• There was no significant effect of trauma groups on reported relationship
quality with siblings or friends.
RQ#2: Relationship between childhood trauma and college
students’ interpersonal skills
• Results indicate there is not a significant effect of childhood trauma on
college students’ interpersonal skills, F(2, 887) = 282, p > .05.