Mediating Role of Early Maladaptive Schemas Between Maternal and Peer Rejection & Self-Defeating Interpersonal Style Among Adults

Abstract

The present study was conducted with the aim to explore the predictors of self-defeating interpersonal style among a sample of adolescents and adults (N = 350). Maternal and peer rejection were investigated as being the predictive risk factors and specific early maladaptive schemas (emotional deprivation, abandonment, social isolation, defectiveness and self-sacrifice) that function as mediating variables. Survey method of research was used, which was spread over two stages, first being the try-out phase to bring about the linguistic adaptation of research scales into culturally comprehendible forms, and the latter stage consisted of administration of questionnaires and collection of data from the sample. Quantitative data was collected through standardized instruments; Mother-Father-Peer Scale (Epstein, 1983), The Urdu Version of Young Schema Questionnaire Short Form Version 3 (Young & Brown, 2005) and Self-DISS (Atkinson, 2017) were used for measuring the constructs of maternal and peer rejection, early maladaptive schemas, and self-defeating interpersonal style respectively. Results indicated that maternal and peer rejection both had a significant positive correlation with early maladaptive schemas of emotional deprivation, abandonment, social isolation, defectiveness, and also with the construct of self-defeating interpersonal style. Also, the results of mediation analysis showed that early maladaptive schemas (emotional deprivation, abandonment, social isolation and defectiveness) significantly mediate the relationship between maternal and peer rejection, and self-defeating interpersonal style. Maternal and peer rejection were greater in graduates whereas the maladaptive schemas were more prevalent in late adolescents. Among the ethnic groups, rejection was significantly lower among Punjabi's, whereas peer rejection was significantly higher in minorities.