Romantic outcomes in young adulthood: THE role of dependency, parental support, and reflective functioning

In recent years, an increasing number of young adults have difficulties making a smooth transition to adulthood in becoming romantically committed and balancing romantic commitments and other aspects of life. The present study was conducted on a sample of 100 Israeli emerging adults (54 males) who were followed from age 23 to 34 years. The study examined the role of personality attributes (dependency, self-criticism), parental support, and reflectivity concerning own family of origin in making a smoother transition to mature romantic engagement. Greater achievement of romantic goals and greater mastery in balancing family and work demands were predicted by low dependency or low self-criticism (assessed at age 23) and a high level of reflectivity (assessed at age 29). The distinctive role of reflectivity with regard to own family script and personality attributes for a smoother romantic transition in adulthood is discussed. In addition, the possible implications of the findings for intervention are also discussed.